


Chatfish

by bakerblake



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Alternate Universe, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Marichat, Mermaids, Mythology - Freeform, SO MUCH FLUFF, adrien/croissants xoxo, i just felt like i needed something simple and sweet you know?, i mean i hope it's cute, kind of plotless, mermaid au, merman!adrien, no powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-08-21 23:33:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8264509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakerblake/pseuds/bakerblake
Summary: ”What are you exactly? A cat? A fish? A-a catfish?”Marinette unexpectedly finds a cat eared merman and decides to bring the fish home with her.





	1. Diving in heart first

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cat eared merman!Adrien just wouldn't leave me alone...

_The first moment I saw you glowing in the spring moonlight_

 

The ocean was unusually calm and serene the day Marinette met him. The beach was empty and the sun sank lower in the sky, light of day draining away. She was alone, soaking up the last rays of the sun before they turned into silvery moonlight. The soft howl of the wind filled her ears and goose bumps were on her arms from the evening chill. She tasted salt every time she took a breath.

Overall, it had been a normal, quiet day for her. _Normal, normal, normal_ , she chanted in her head. Normal, because that's how the day had started. Normal, because it didn't end that way.

Marinette really hadn't expected to meet a mythological sea creature right before the sunset. But there she was, staring at some strange fish in the eye, not sure what to do.

Lying on a rock, propped up on his elbows was a stunning green-eyed creature that reminded Marinette of a normal young man. _Normal._

However, his shoulders and arms were covered with shimmering scales that were mostly black, but Marinette could see a little bit of green on his skin, too. The green matched his eyes. His blond hair somehow managed to look good despite the fact that it was wet. On top of his head he had two pointy black cat ears. That definitely wasn't normal.

Every day you learn something new, mythological sea creatures apparently had cat ears.

The creature's lower body was hidden by the water, and Marinette wasn't sure if she wanted to find out what it looked like.

It was getting colder and darker, but the mythological fish wouldn't stop staring at her with its bright green eyes. Marinette had never seen eyes like that, so radiant. His eyes were the kind of green that reminded her why spring was her favourite time of the year. In fact, he was so beautiful that she almost could not believe he was real.

Marinette swallowed, trying to summon enough courage to open her mouth. She had so many questions.

”Who... are you?” she whispered.

”Adrien”, the creature replied. ”Do you, by any chance, have food with you? I'm starving.”

Marinette shook her head slowly. Since she didn't want to stare at his bare chest like a creep, she forced her eyes to move to the top of his head.

Right. Cat ears. Still there.

She felt dizzy. Nothing made sense. Maybe the creature really was a cat after all and her tired eyes were just playing tricks on her. But then again, the creature didn't even have whiskers.

” _What_ are you?”

The creature – Adrien – ignored her question.

”Are you... a fish?” she tried. The calmness of her voice surprised her.

”Well, do I look like a fish?”

Marinette wasn't sure what to say to that. She stared at his ears and cat-like green eyes.

”Um, are you a cat then?” She knew he wasn't a cat. She knew perfectly well what cats looked like and they definitely didn't look like _that_.

Adrien simply shook his head, and Marinette knitted her brows.

”Do I have to keep guessing?” she mumbled, annoyed. ”Are you, ummm, a fishcat? A-a catfish?”

When the last word left her lips, the creature's whole face lit up. His eyes widened, mouth opening into a huge grin. The cat ears twitched. Marinette swore she could see his big green eyes sparkle for real. The fish looked so excited you'd think she had just cracked the code to some top secret vault that contained a fortune.

Damn, he was cute.

”Catfish! That's actually a really good one! Impressive”, said Adrien and nodded his head dozens of times. ”If I ever meet more humans and they want to know what I am, I'll tell them I'm a catfish.”

Marinette blinked, confused.

Adrien grinned. ”Get it? Because my ears–”

Before he could finish, the waves suddenly drew back, exposing his lower body. The creature didn't have feet at all. Where his legs should have been was a long black dolphin tail with even more sparkling scales. 

Her eyes widened in shock as realization hit her. Her jaw dropped.

This had to be a dream or something.

”Y-you're a...”

_Mermaid._

Fear touched Adrien's face. He whirled and dove into the depths of the ocean. Before Marinette could even call after him, he was gone.

She sat down on the rock, peering into the darkness of the sea. She had seen the look in his eyes and she knew he was just as fascinated by her as she was by him. So, she decided to wait for the strange catfish to appear again.

Seconds went by as the waves broke around the rocks in the shallows. Marinette watched closely, hoping that the movement of the water would clear her thoughts.

Soon enough the merman really did surface again, looking at her with curiosity.

A moment passed. The moon poured down on them, showering them with beams of light. The merman's shiny skin was illuminated by the stars and Marinette thought he looked even more beautiful than before.

They just stared at each other, questions flooding their minds.

”So you're not afraid of me?” Adrien asked, breaking the silence.

Marinette shook her head.

Truth be told, there was a smaller Marinette inside her head, running around in circles, not knowing what to do. Then another mini-Marinette appeared, screaming hysterically. Finally, a third one popped up, pulling at her pigtails, and the real Marinette felt like she was going crazy.

She was talking to a living, breathing _merman_. She was talking to a freaking merman that had _cat ears_. Mermaids weren't even supposed to be real in the first place, they only lived in fairytales.

Life really was full of surprises.

But was she afraid of him? No.

Marinette eyed the creature before her. Mermaids were... half human, half fish, right?

She took a look at his ears.

Or half... cat?

Her head was spinning.

”If you're a merman...” Marinette started slowly. ”Then why do you have cat ears? This... This makes no sense at all...”

Adrien tilted his head. He looked a bit puzzled.

”I've heard what your people think of my kind and – fortunately – I am here to inform you that most of the things you associate with merfolk are wrong. Some of us have ears like mine, some of us have 'human' ears and some of us don't have ears at all”, he told her, looking quite proud.

Marinette wasn't prepared for her heart to skip a beat the way it did when the golden-haired boy – merman – _Adrien_ – smiled charmingly at her, flashing his white teeth. He explained something more, but Marinette's mind was too busy panicking to hear what he had to say. She was no longer panicking because she was talking to a merman, no. Now she was panicking because of the sudden burning feeling on her cheeks.

”Bu-but you have cat ears! _Cat_!” she exclaimed nervously, interrupting Adrien's speech about mermaid living rooms. She gestured at his ears.

Adrien smiled sweetly. ”I'm a purrfectly normal merman, I purrmise you that.”

Marinette blinked.

That was... absolutely horrible. Compared to that, her accidental ”catfish pun” was award worthy. Someone ought to tell him he wasn't funny.

But the smile that spread across Adrien's face was so proud, so pure that she didn't want to ruin it. Fine, let him think he was hilarious. Let him smile like he had just found the treasure at the end of the rainbow.

The wide smile was making her feel something, something she didn't want to feel. A funny feeling was growing in her heart and she could do nothing to stop it.

”Oh, you think you're perfectly normal, huh? Okaaay, whatever you say...” Marinette stared at his black ears, ”...Chat Noir.”

Adrien sank back a little deeper into the waves until only his face from nose up was above water.

Marinette laughed.

”I told you I'm not a cat.” He pouted and covered his ears with his hands.

”And still you make cat puns.”

His eyes twinkled again. ”Wanna hear more?”

”No!” Marinette answered a bit too quickly, a bit too loudly, because the light on Adrien's face faded a little. She immediately felt guilty.

”I mean yes. Or uh, maybe later?” She laughed awkwardly.

Adrien blew a hard breath out through his nostrils, creating bubbles. He mumbled something.

She leaned closer to hear him better.

”What's your name then, _my lady_?”

Marinette grimaced immediately when the nickname reached her ears. Adrien watched as her nose gave a cute wrinkle. She stuck her tongue out, making Adrien pout again.

”Hey, you called me Chat Noir!” he defended, frustrated.

Marinette chuckled and bit her lip.

_So... freaking... cute._

”A cute nickname for a cute person.” The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop herself. She quickly slapped her hands over her lips.

Adrien's face turned slightly pink.

Marinette wanted to punch herself, hard. Where was the apocalypse when you needed it?

 _It's not ok to call strangers cute like that! Oh god, he must feel so uncomfortable right now._ Marinette's mind was a chaos. _How can I fix this? Did that count as sexual harrassment?_ _Oh no, what if some mermaid police officer is going to arrest me and drown me as punishment?_ _I'm way too young to die!_

”Ma-Marinette!” she suddenly blurted out.

A pause.

”What?”

”My name”, she said lamely. ”It's Marinette.”

The light magically reappeared on his beautiful face.

”Marinette.” Adrien's mouth danced playfully around her name, savouring it. For some reason her name made him feel like, after being lost at sea for a really long time, he had finally found the light that would guide him home.

A smile bloomed over his lips. Marinette's heart very much liked that smile. Her brain? Not so much.

”Marinette”, he whispered again. The way her name rolled off of his tongue sent unexpected shock waves through her body. Her name was like a hymn on his lips.

Adrien raised his head to meet her gaze. His smile was so soft, filled with something similar to hope and all of a sudden Marinette was speechless.

Yeah, okay, maybe her brain liked that smile, too. It was a really good smile. The best smile she had seen in a long time, to be honest.

She couldn't help but smile back. ”Yeah, that's my name.”

Adrien eyed the empty beach. ”By the way... Can you tell me where I am? I'm kind of lost.”

”You're in Cannes.”

”Where's that?”

”France.”

”France?” His eyebrows rose a notch. ”I knew I was far from home but I didn't think I was _that_ far away.”

”Where are you from then?” Marinette asked. ”You speak fluent French.”

”The Aegean Sea, Greece”, Adrien told. ”Or, actually, the sea is between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey but I live closer to Greece, so.”

”How'd you get here?”

”So many questions, my lady. Well, I–”

Suddenly Marinette's phone started ringing. She took it out of her pocket.

”Oh no, Alya!” she gasped.

Adrien looked at her phone, confused.

”I promised her I would go to her place tonight”, Marinette explained and dragged a hand along her face.

The baffled look didn't leave his face.

The ringing stopped and Marinette send her friend a quick text. Then she turned to Adrien who was still staring at her phone, eyes strangely expressionless.

”That was my friend. I... I have to go, sorry. I promise I won't tell her about you, so don't worry about that!”

She kind of wanted to stay.

”That's okay”, he said and forced a smile. He couldn't believe that all it took for his first almost-friend to leave him was a small beeping device. ”It was nice to meet you.”

Marinette hesitated her next words.

”Can I see you again?” she asked. ”Tomorrow?”

Adrien looked doubtful. It was exactly what he wanted, but he was still terrified.

”We shouldn't.”

”Please?” she whispered.

Adrien didn't answer. He just turned his head and bit his lip. Then he dove into the waves and was gone.

All Marinette heard was the crashing of the ocean waves and the sound of her heart falling in love.

 

-/-/-/-

 

It was getting late and Marinette was more than ready to close the bakery. As much as she liked having the house all to herself, running the bakery alone was a lot of work. Her parents were attending some food event in Paris that week and after that they would spend an extra week there, relaxing.

Of course, there was another reason, too, why she wanted to close the bakery as soon as possible. She couldn't get the green eyes of that strange fish out of her mind.

She closed the bakery at 7, all of her thoughts on Adrien as she cleaned the shop, humming happily. She grabbed a few leftover croissants and packed her bag. Then she headed out and made her way to the beach.

Halfway there she stopped in her tracks when an idea formed in her mind. She turned around, went back and arrived at the beach with a wheelchair and a green blanket. She sat down on the rock and waited, every fiber of her being vibrating with anticipation.

And she waited.

And waited...

Desperation spun through her. Maybe he really wasn't coming.

Sighing, she tossed one croissant into the waves. More waiting, more watching.

Finally something moved. Adrien surfaced from the water, nibbling the croissant with a smile. He smiled at her so big that his eyes turned into crescents. Marinette's voice was stuck in her throat.

” _Chat va?_ ”

Instead of being irritated, Marinette was surprised to find that the stupid cat pun made her almost grin.

”Hello, catfish. Your French is amazing, indeed.”

Adrien flashed her a grin. He munched his croissant and made more _mmm_ noises.

For a long moment Marinette just gazed at him – at his pale skin and black and green scales, at the flash of his teeth and his bright green eyes. A strange feeling of excitement filled her as she watched him. He looked so beautiful, so surreal.

Adrien glanced at her, shining eyes cautious.

Marinette cleared her throat. Right, staring was creepy.

”You came back”, she said simply. For some reason the relief of his presence brought a smile to her lips. She could feel her heart beating, pulsing, thumping with excitement. Why wouldn't it stop?

A slow smile worked its way across Adrien's face and into his eyes. He gazed at her legs before pulling himself out of the water. He sat beside her. Carefully he mirrored her position, pulling his tail to his chest as he put his arms around it.

”You came back, too”, he said.

Marinette had that giddy feeling again. She sat back and let the strange happiness soak right into her bones. She loved how simple happiness for her. It was hugs with her mum, it was seeing Alya's face every day, it was the smell of her parents' bakery. Happiness was to meet a merman who she felt like she should have met ages ago.

Adrien closed his eyes and savoured the moment, too. He loved how happiness always felt like a warm ocean wave. Unfortunately, it never lasted long. That's why he thought it was important to savour the memory of its warm touch before the wave faded away.

This wave of happiness faded very quickly, too, when Adrien's mind reminded him of the human sitting next to him. He thought of his mother. He thought of his father. Why on earth did he trust Marinette? He did, for some odd reason he couldn't understand, but it wasn't wise.

”Marinette...” he started slowly, voice unsure. ”I need to ask you something.”

Another simple blessing was to hear Adrien say her name.

Marinette gestured him to keep going.

Adrien took a deep, nervous breath. ”Do you eat fish?”

It took a moment before the meaning of his words sank properly into her brain. Her face went pale.

”I guess I do”, she admitted quietly, suddenly ashamed. The way his face paled, too, Marinette knew it wasn't the answer he had wanted.

”And... do you plan on eating me, too?” he asked warily.

”What? No!” She shook her head furiously with a shocked expression.

”Oh. I just thought... you did just say you eat fish and I'm a...”

Marinette frowned. This wasn't fair.

”Well, I could ask you the same question. Do you eat humans? Do you, you know, use your good looks and sing hauntingly beautiful songs to lure sailors to their death?”

”Are you asking if I'm a siren? The answer is no.”

Marinette shrugged, but her heart flooded with relief. ”You'd be beautiful enough for that, though.”

”Huh?”

His confused gaze drifted over her face, bringing a blush to her cheeks. ”Ah, nothing!”

It was Adrien's turn to shrug.

Marinette cursed in her mind. Adrien wouldn't even need to sing a siren's song to have her completely entangled in him. She figured, if he was lying and she was already under his spell, she was perfectly content to never come out of it.

”I'm sorry.” She hung her head. ”It's just... I don't know anything about you.”

Adrien said nothing. She didn't raise her head to see the look on his face because her cheeks were still burning.

”Besides, all of my information comes from The Little Mermaid, mostly”, she mumbled. ”Not the most reliable source, I guess.”

”The little mermaid? Who's that?”

”It's not a person, it's a movie.”

”And... what is a movie?”

”It's, um...” Marinette trailed off. How did one explain to a merman what a movie was?

Finally she met his eyes. ”You know what, nevermind. Don't worry about it.”

Adrien frowned harder than before. He pressed his lips into a thin line, eyebrows furrowing together. He didn't know what she was talking about and it obviously bothered him.

The merman was quiet for a moment, staring out over the waves, watching the fading horizon. Marinette gaped openly as she observed his beautiful side profile. It was funny how he got better the more she looked.

He took her breath away.

Marinette turned to look at the old wheelchair she had brought with her. It used to belong to her mother who had hurt her leg pretty badly about three years ago when they were on a ski trip in the Alps. For a few months she had used the wheelchair occasionally, but now the chair had no purpose.

Marinette had also brought a blanket with her so that – if her plan worked – she could wrap it around the merman's waist to hide his tail. She wanted to take him home. All she could think was how badly she wanted to get to know him.

It took a while but ultimately she summoned the courage to ask him.

”M-my parents are on vacation in Paris right now”, she started, trying to keep her voice cool, but failing. ”They won't be home for two weeks. Y-you could come to my house.” She hoped she didn't sound as desperate as she felt.

Adrien's head turned to her instantly. His cat ears perked up.

Marinette read his expression wrong.

”S-sorry that this is all so sudden! I know it sounds crazy but I promise we would be very careful!” she said quickly. ”I brought a wheelchair with me just in case you... um, yeah.”

His eyes followed her gaze to the wheelchair and Marinette kept babbling.

”My mum hurt her leg a few years back and we had to buy her a wheelchair, but she doesn't use it anymore so I hoped that...” She played with her hair as she tried to avoid eye contact with him. ”I hoped that you could tell me more about mermaids and... I could tell you more about The Little Mermaid and movies and... stuff. B-but only if you want! You don't have to, of course! I just think that you're so... so...”

She gave up, groaning loudly as she buried her head in her hands. She didn't know she was this bad with words.

But Adrien smiled. His heart had already decided.

”It's a deal”, he said, holding out his fist.

Slowly, Marinette moved her fingers to take a peek at him. He was still smiling at her so softly and with so much honesty in his eyes that her heart sighed quietly.

She chuckled and bumped him back. Then she got up and rushed to get the wheelchair.

Needless to say they had a lot of trouble getting home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Marinette and Adrien watch The Little Mermaid together (ﾉ･o･)ﾉ !!
> 
> Thanks for reading! I highly appreciate feedback and you are more than welcome to point out spelling and grammatical errors since English isn't my first language! I'd be really grateful because I want to improve my skills!! :)  
> So, come at me, bro. ʕง•ᴥ•ʔง


	2. You are something magical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disney's The Little Mermaid (ﾉ･o･)ﾉ !!

The sunrise was a breathtaking display of radiant colours. The sun itself had barely risen and was only peeking out the horizon, its rays starting to warm the air. Marinette stared into the rising sun, eyes burning a little.

Something was different. Her skin was tingling with excitement, a smile working its way across her face and into her eyes. She felt like she had never watched the sunrise like this before. While she had always appreciated the fresh start of a new day, somehow it still felt like she had never truly noticed its true beauty until now.

She was awake, perhaps more fully awake than she had ever been.

Marinette came downstairs and the first thing she saw was the sleeping merman curled up on the living room sofa. The sofa was dripping wet and the floor looked permanently ruined. The sight was strange to say the least.

Adrien's breathing was steady, his cat ears still, mouth open just a tiny bit. The green blanket that was supposed to warm his body was on the floor and Marinette could see his black dolphin tail, shining scales and bare chest. The rise and fall of his chest was very calming to her for some reason.

Marinette turned to look out the window. Staring at someone who was asleep counted as creepy, even though the other person didn't know they were being stared at. Luckily, the strawberry sunrise was almost as gorgeous as the sleeping sea creature, and Marinette's eyes quickly glued to the pretty colours.

She only looked away when she heard soft mumbling.

The cat ears twitched when Adrien slowly opened his eyes. His stunning golden hair was wild and unruly. He looked amazing, it wasn't fair. Marinette wondered if mermaids naturally looked good all the time or if it was just Adrien. In any case, she wasn't complaining.

Confused, he looked around the room, like he wasn't sure if he was still dreaming or not. He blinked, closed his eyes, and blinked again.

Then his half closed eyes found hers. A small, sleepy smile spread across his face.

”Marinette”, he breathed.

Her simple name held no deeper meaning and neither did the drowsy tone of his voice, but goddamnit, did her heart seem to think that way. It was dancing excitedly, skipping beats and jumping in her chest. Marinette hoped her heartbeat wasn't as loud to him as it was to her.

”Hi”, she sighed dreamily. ”Hey. Hello. Good... good morning.”

Adrien turned his whole body to see her better, making the sofa creak. He chuckled quietly, voice hoarse. It reminded her of honey.

”Good morning.”

Marinette had to close her eyes to ignore the adorable sound.

It didn't work.

Adrien let out a loud yawn as Marinette's brain battled with her heart. He ruffled his messy hair a bit more.

His bed hair was absolutely crazy and it made Marinette frustrated. It wasn't allowed to look that chaotic and good at the same time. Her heart screamed, deciding that it wouldn't mind waking up to this exact same sight every morning. Marinette wanted to roll her eyes at herself. She really needed to take a cool shower and slow down.

Adrien murmured something about his stomach, and she told him to wait a second. She headed to the kitchen and came back with a plateful of chocolate cookies. He accepted the plate with a grateful smile.

Marinette packed her bag and got ready to leave.

”Okay, the bakery is waiting. I brought you a few books that you can kill your time with while I'm gone. I'll close the shop early today so that we can start the movie and...” she trailed off when she noticed he wasn't eating. Instead, he just stared at the cookies, biting his lip.

Marinette tilted her head, frowning a little. ”Do you not like cookies? My lunch break is at 12, I'll come back with fresh croissants.”

Adrien shook his head.

”I... I can't take your food”, he said quietly. ”I have nothing to offer in return.”

Surprised, she blinked her eyes a few times. ”Oh, don't be like that. I invited you, remember? I'd be a horrible host if I didn't feed you.”

”In that case I'm a horrible guest, eating all of your food”, he said with a sigh, even though he had not eaten anything yet. ”I can never repay your kindness.”

”You can repay me by telling me more about mermaids later”, she assured, but could see he was still hesitating.

”But...”

”No buts. Eat”, she said firmly and nodded towards the cookies. ”See you in a few hours.” 

 

-/-/-/-

 

Adrien looked like an excited kitten. He was sitting straight up in the wheelchair, an adorable smile on his face. His cat ears were perked up, too.

Everything was perfect. The movie was about to start and he was going to spend the rest of the night with his new – and only – friend. On top of that, Marinette had made him something called ”spaghetti bolognese” and he couldn't wait to try it. If it tasted anywhere near as good as croissants and cookies, he was sure he would love it.

Marinette handed him a small shiny object.

”This is called a fork”, the girl said. ”Don't put it in your hair.”

Adrien's eyebrows knitted together. ”Why would I do that?”

Marinette opened her mouth to explain, but closed it soon after. She turned to look at the tv.

”Uh, nevermind.” She waved her hand around and laughed awkwardly.

Adrien just shrugged it off. He knew perfectly well what a fork was and how to use it, his father had made him study human culture for years. Every mermaid knew that forks were supposed to be held with the left hand the knife with the right. It was funny how he knew details about table manners but had never even heard of movies. They knew so much yet so little.

Marinette plopped down on the sofa, cosy with Adrien's blanket and a cup of tea. Adrien wheeled next to the sofa. His movements were extra slow, he didn't want to drop the pasta on his lap.

Marinette watched how he failed to get any food into his mouth, dropping everything before the fork could reach his lips. He tried again, twirling the spaghetti with his fork. Finally he managed to slurp up one noodle. He froze, staring at the plate with raised eyebrows and wide eyes.

Marinette studied his face with amused eyes. His big eyes were twinkling as he licked his lips.

Adrien ate rapidly – or as rapidly as he could – and stuffed his mouth full.

”Ready?” Marinette asked with a smirk and pointed to the tv.

Adrien only nodded, declining to speak until he had swallowed the delicious food in his mouth. Marinette just laughed and pressed play.

(The beautiful music started and mermaids swam across the tv screen on their way to the palace.)

”Look, they have human ears!” Adrien said, his own cat ears twitching.

(The palace was soon filled with mermaids who were waiting for the concert to start.)

”Wait a minute... They _all_ have human ears? That's not right.”

(The show begun and Ariel's sisters started to sing _Daughters of Triton_.)

”Wait, they sing? They're sirens? I thought this movie was about mermaids? For your information, sirens never sing under water.”

Marinette paused the movie. ”What's the deal with sirens anyway? How do they differ from mermaids exactly?”

Adrien didn't take his eyes off the tv. ”To put it simply, sirens are the ones known for their singing voices, not mermaids. Ships crash on the rocks around the sirens' islands, killing the unsuspecting sailors that fall prey to their song. Sirens eat humans, mermaids don't. Got it?”

”So sirens really are out there and they're a threat to humans?”

”Well, not really. Sirens are almost extinct. If I were you I wouldn't worry too much about them.”

”Okay, but what about–”

”Can we please continue the movie?” Adrien put on a pout, his lower lip larger than the top one. ”I'll tell you more later. Everything you want to know, I promise.”

Marinette only grinned in response.

(Ariel finally appeared on the screen for the first time, her eye-catching red hair bubbling in the water.)

”Whoa, her hair looks amazing”, Adrien commented. ”I wish my hair looked that good, too.”

Marinette stared at him and raised her eyebrows like she couldn't believe what he had just said. ”Are you serious right now? Have you never seen yourself?”

”Hm?”

”Nothing, nothing...” she muttered and turned her head.

(The movie introduced Flounder as Ariel's funny fish friend.)

”That's interesting”, Adrien said, nodding his head. ”Fish are not usually intelligent creatures, we can't communicate with them verbally.”

”How disappointing.”

(”But what is it?” asked Flounder when they found a fork from the old shipwreck.)

”It's a fork!” Adrien yelled at the tv.

”They can't hear you.”

(Ariel had no idea what a fork was, and her seagull friend wasn't much wiser. He wrongly named the fork a dinglehopper and said that it is used as a comb.)

Adrien leaned closer to her so that he could whisper into her ear. ”So that's why you thought I would use it on my hair.”

Marinette shrugged, a little embarrassed. ”I told you most of my information comes from this movie, didn't I?”

(”You could have been seen by one of those barbarians! They are dangerous!” Triton yelled at Ariel for going out to the surface again. ”Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter snared by some fish-eater's hook? As long as you live under my ocean, you'll obey my rules.”)

Adrien tensed beside her, his cat ears flat against his head.

Marinette looked at him with worried eyes. ”Hey, what's wrong?”

”What?” He blinked. ”Oh. Sorry. It's nothing, really.”

”If you say so...”

(Ariel rescued the human prince, bringing him to shore. The prince regained consciousness and the mermaid disappeared. Eric vowed to find the one who saved him, and Ariel vowed to find a way to be part of his world.)

”Please, tell me she's going to see him again. I know true love when I see it.”

”But they don't even know each other.”

”Yes, but to get to know one another they need to find each other first, right?”

(”I set certain rules and expect those rules to be obeyed. Humans are all the same, spineless, savage, harpooning fish-eaters, incapable of any feeling!” Triton said as he destroyed Ariel's treasures.)

Adrien's face was pale. He looked almost scared.

Marinette paused the video. ”Hey, are you sure you're alright?”

”Yeah, yeah... It's nothing...”

Marinette couldn't help but wonder if her merman guest came from an abusive home. She really hoped she was wrong.

(Ursula tricked Ariel into making a deal to transform her into a human for three days in exchange for her voice. Within these three days, Ariel must receive the kiss of true love.)

”The kiss of true love?” Adrien suddenly threw his arms in the air and leaned back in his chair. ”Holy fishnet!”

”It's just a movie, Adrien, don't take it too seriously.”

”Yes, but... true love's kiss, Marinette! It's a huge deal to mermaids. True love's kiss is the power of love in its purest form, there's nothing more magical. It is said that true love's kiss can cure any curse and bring peace to the world and... Why are you laughing?”

The girl shook her head, amused. ”Let me guess, it can also bring back the dead?” she asked in a mocking tone.

Adrien tilted his head and pressed his lips together. He thought for a moment.

”I don't know, but I guess it could be possible.”

Marinette snorted. ”Mm-m, and have you ever seen true love's kiss work?”

”Sadly, I haven't. It's extremely rare and hard to find.”

”You do realize that sounds enormously fantastic, overly romantic and, most of all, unrealistic.” She shook her head again.

”I can see why you're skeptical, but it is the truth, I swear.”

(Ursula ripped out Ariel's voice and the little mermaid was changed into a human. Ursula's maniacal laugh echoed as Ariel rushed to the surface.)

When Adrien reached for her hand, Marinette didn't object. He held her hand tightly and she let him, squeezing his fingers gently.

She skipped the part where the cook violently cut off the heads of the dead fish and tried to kill Sebastian. It was better that Adrien's pure, true love's kiss filled mind didn't have to go through that scene.

(The dinner was ready and Ariel came into the room wearing a beautiful pink dress. Prince Eric couldn't help but stare at her, amazed.)

Adrien turned to look at Marinette, a sly smile on his lips.

”Would you look as mesmerized if I turned up in a pretty dress like that?” he asked.

”Sure, kitty.” She smirked back.

Adrien turned away, victoriously mumbling something to himself. Then suddenly he froze.

”Wait”, he said and turned to look at her again, mouth open. ”Did you just call me _kitty_?”

Marinette didn't answer, she was trying to focus on the movie. But when _Kiss The Girl_ started playing and she could feel his eyes on her, following the story suddenly became extremely hard.

( _”You don't know why but you're dying to try, you wanna kiss the girl.”_ )

Not even Scuttle's occasional screeches made Adrien turn away.

Marinette was afraid of what she would see if she turned her head. She was afraid of the look he might have had in his eyes.

( _”Possible she wants you, too...”_ )

Marinette could practically feel sweat dripping down her face. Her heart was racing. Adrien was looking at her lips.

The song ended, Marinette's eyes still glued to the screen. At last he turned away, and Marinette let out a relieved sigh.

When Eric informed he would marry Vanessa, Adrien gasped in horror. He gasped even louder when the sun set and Ariel transformed back into a mermaid, preventing her true love's kiss from happening. Adrien whined some more about the importance of true love.

The story obviously had a happy ending. Ariel got to keep her legs, her prince and the human world.

”That... was the best thing I've ever experienced”, Adrien praised as the closing credits rolled. ”Even with all the inaccuracies.”

The moving pictures, the characters that didn't really exist but felt so real... Everything was so overwhelming and new to him. He had barely blinked the whole time and only when the movie ended he noticed that his muscles were tensed. He was tired, but in a good way.

Marinette was in a good mood, too. Watching Adrien watch a movie had been a lot more entertaining than any movie could ever be.

”I'm glad you enjoyed it.” She grinned. ”Now, will you tell me more about mermaids and sirens?”

Adrien yawned. His eyes were a bit red.

”Sure. What do you want to know?”

Marinette looked at his tired smile and half-closed eyes. She hesitated.

”Actually, what if we talk about it tomorrow?” she suggested, changing her mind. ”Movies can be real rollercoasters sometimes and I know you must be tired. I'll let you rest.”

Adrien didn't argue, his eyes immediately closing. Smiling, Marinette got up, grabbed the green blanket from the sofa and tucked him in. Within seconds the merman was asleep, body relaxed, breathing steadily.

Marinette was tempted to kiss his forehead goodnight, but there were boundaries, lines she didn't want to cross. She was afraid of what touching him with her lips might do to her already exposed heart.

 

-/-/-/-

 

Adrien brought the fresh, warm croissant to his nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled rich, promising a delightful taste. The smell of food was like a siren's serenade to his ears: beautiful and enchanting. He would have been over the moon... if it wasn't for Eugene's death scene that was just playing before his eyes.

_”You were my new dream...”_

Adrien couldn't help but tear up.

_”And you were mine...”_

He took a tiny bite of the croissant as a heartbroken Rapunzel cried. He needed his comfort food.

Magically, Rapunzel's tear still contained a little bit of the flower's power and it was enough to restore Eugene's life. The lost princess finally reunited with her parents, the kingdom breaking out in celebration.

Adrien could feel his own tears slide down his cheeks. This time they were tears of joy.

The living room door opened and Marinette walked in.

”Hi!” she greeted cheerfully, tossing her bag on the floor. She hummed happily as she took off her shoes. She was glad that she didn't have to work in the bakery anymore that day.

Then she noticed his puffy eyes.

Marinette took a step closer to him. ”Are you alright?”

He turned to look at the pile of Blu-ray cases.

”Marinette...” he started and sniffed. ”I want to be a Disney princess.”

The girl blinked, opening her mouth but closing it before any words could come out. Finally she chuckled, sounding a bit confused.

Adrien just nodded his head with a serious expression, almost dried tears still shining on his cheeks.

They had talked about The Little Mermaid movie that morning and it hadn't taken long for Marinette to notice that her guest was clearly a hopeless romantic. His biggest dream was probably to be able to talk to cute animals and find someone who would sweep him off his feet and carry him to a luxurious castle. Marinette wanted to snort, but if she was completely honest, his wide-eyed innocent look and beautiful thick hair really did remind her of a fairytale prince or princess.

Marinette let out a long sigh as she sank into the sofa. Adrien wiped his tears, and Marinette couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face. She almost couldn't believe it, a fish from the sea crying about Disney movies and magical happy endings. He was so damn adorable she wanted to punch something.

All in all, she had a good reason to smile. Everything was so surreal, but at the same time so good, so _right_. Adrien didn't hide his tears from her and she didn't feel awkward sitting next to him while he cried. Although, in a way, it was extremely concerning how quickly they were starting to get used to each other's company.

”Do you remember what you promised yesterday?” Marinette asked after a while.

Adrien nodded. ”That I would tell you everything you want to know.”

”Exactly.”

”Alright”, he said and leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. ”What do you want to know?”

Momentarily, Marinette stared at his muscles before forcing her gaze to his spring green eyes. She cleared her throat.

”Hmm, let's see. Oh! If you're from Greece, how do you know French?”

”I'm fluent in five different languages, actually. My father expects me to study a lot and I've studied human culture and languages all my life. Ok, next.”

Marinette frowned. ”Human culture? Why?”

Adrien didn't answer right away. She watched him swallow nervously.

”You could say that my father is...” he hesitated for a moment, swallowing again, ”very protective. Or maybe careful is a better word. Anyway, he wanted me to be ready in case I come across humans who... want to hurt me. Contact between merpeople and humans is strictly forbidden.”

Adrien looked down in shame, avoiding eye contact with her. He was breaking the rules by simply spending time with her.

Marinette's mind wandered to the movie night. No wonder he had looked so uncomfortable when Triton had scolded Ariel for going out to the surface. She wanted to tell him that she really did not see him as a potential meal, but saying that out loud seemed like a bad idea.

Marinette's stomach turned unhelpfully. She realized she had no idea how Adrien got to Cannes in the first place. She had no idea what he was doing there or why he had agreed to come to her house. She had secretly hoped that it was because he liked her, but now other possibilities were starting to fill her head. Was he perhaps a delinquent?

Marinette watched how Adrien's cat ears twitched rapidly. The boy was hugging the blanket tightly, green eyes nervous. She thought about how he had cried just a few minutes ago because of Tangled.

There was no way he was a troublemaker.

”What do you think your father is doing right now?” she asked quietly.

Adrien sighed. ”Looking for me, most likely, and I don't think he will stop until he finds me. I'm sure he could go as far as dragging me back to my cave by force. He... he doesn't like humans.”

Marinette was shocked, but not because Adrien's father had low expectations of humans. She was shocked because Adrien had just told her that his father would force him to go back if he ever found him. The thought that someone would make Adrien do something he didn't want to do by using or threatening to use violence made Marinette sick to her stomach.

”Are... are you saying that someone might kidnap you?” The urge to protect her catfish grew.

”Well, since I'm not a kid, I suggest we call it catnapping.”

Adrien waited for her to laugh, but Marinette wasn't amused. He cleared his throat awkwardly. ”Uh, yes, it's possible, I think.”

”Why are you here, Adrien?” She sounded like she was almost afraid of hearing his answer, her voice barely above a whisper.

Adrien looked at her, unsure of how much he should reveal. But when he saw her eyes, the only word that came to his mind was _trust._

_Trust her, you can trust her, you can trust your heart._

Her eyes were the colour of a newly bloomed bluebell, soft but intense. At that moment her wide eyes were filled with uncertainty, but he could see it, see that she cared about his wellbeing and safety. Her blue eyes were looking at him with worry and his heart might have melted just a tiny bit.

Adrien felt something new. His heart was lighter than it had ever been and a tiny smile bloomed over his lips.

He wanted to tell her everything.

His shoulders were slumping again, the small smile disappearing from his face when he breathed, ”I finally ran away from home. I couldn't stand my father anymore, I couldn't stand my life.”

”What did he do?” Adrien could hear the anger behind her words which surprised him a little.

”He locked me up”, he told her truthfully, and Marinette covered her mouth with her hands. ”He said that it was for my own good. He's the king and therefore has the power to–”

He was interrupted by Marinette's sudden shriek.

” _What?_ ” She jumped up. ”If – if – if your father is the king, then that must mean you're a...”

”I'm a prince, yes.” Adrien sighed.

Marinette stared at him like he had just told her something life changing, which was not true. Then a weird grin formed on her face.

”A prince...” She said the word like she couldn't believe it. ”All the fish in the sea probably wish they could be me right now, huh?”

Adrien frowned. ”Why would they? Being a prince has never done me any good. No one knows I exist because I've been locked up most of my life and I've never had any friends.”

Her strange grin faltered. She still looked shocked, but in a different way than before.

”You don't have any friends?” she asked, squinting.

Adrien shook his head, eyes filled with sadness as he wrapped his arms around himself. His bottom lip quivered a little, but he couldn't help it. Being friendless for so long had made a deep, aching cut to his soul. He wished he could just bury his painful memories deep underground. He had run away, but he was still scared of what his past held.

Loneliness had been his only friend, a horrible friend. Adrien knew all too well how it constantly ate him alive and swallowed every ounce of hope he had left. A hand to hold or an arm around his shoulders... that was all he had wanted.

Adrien knew the king hadn't meant to be a bad parent, but it didn't change the fact that he was. His father wanted him to be friendless and isolated from the world so that he would be 'safe'. His prison might have looked like a room in a five star hotel, but it had been a prison nonetheless. He had always been utterly alone.

Thinking about his father made Adrien nervous. He really didn't want to know what he was doing or how he was feeling. Adrien refused to be part of his life anymore.

Suddenly he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Adrien looked up to Marinette's sad eyes, finally realizing that he wasn't alone. His life was a mess, but somehow he knew he could trust the girl in front of him.

Adrien's eyes were soft as he looked at her. Thankful.

Marinette sat back down on the sofa, offering him a sympathetic smile.

”You know... it took me a long time to make friends, too”, she told him. "I was bullied, shy and afraid of what others thought of me. All I needed was to find the right people and gain a little bit of self-confidence. I know you will eventually find people who understand and care for you.” And she hoped she was one of them.

The merman beamed.

After a pause, the girl continued, albeit hesitantly. ”Why does your father hate humans?”

Adrien took a deep breath and begun an old story he had heard almost too many times in his life. ”Sirène was a young mermaid who one day got caught by fishermen. The fishermen were sure they could make some money out of her and therefore refused to free her. Soon, Sirène was sold and kept in an aquarium. People came from far and wide to see her, it was almost like she was a circus animal. Sirène lived her whole life in prison and never saw her family again. After her death, mermaids built a statue in her honour, reminding others to never treat another living creature – mermaid or human – the way Sirène was treated. To this day, the statue is a reminder of the cruelty of humans.”

The room was quiet as Adrien waited for Marinette's reaction. The tale didn't exactly answer her question, but he hoped that it was enough to make her understand why mermaids were afraid of humans.

”Whoa, you really know that story by heart, don't you”, was all she said. Not quite the reaction he had expected.

”Yeah, well, what can you do when your father insists on telling you the same story over and over again at least once a week.”

”He must really hate humans.”

Adrien only shrugged. He pushed the image of his mother aside.

”Is the story real?” Marinette asked. ”Have you ever seen this statue?”

”The statue is real but I don't know if the story is”, he replied and bit his lip.

_Trust her, you can trust her._

”But the more I get to know you the more I am convinced it's not true”, he confessed, catching Marinette off guard. He watched how her mouth slowly formed an 'o'.

His gaze was fixed on her and once again she was struck by their mysterious attraction to each other. Marinette wondered whether he could see stars and galaxies in her eyes the way she did in his. She was so lost in his intense green eyes that she almost forgot how to speak.

”Wh-what a coincidence!” she said suddenly, making Adrien frown. He had no idea what she was talking about.

”I-I mean, you know, you're a prince, you have an overprotective parent, you escaped to the human world...” she mumbled, turning her nervous gaze to her hands. ”Doesn't this sound exactly like The Little Mermaid?”

Adrien shook his head. ”We just watched it and I have to say I find a lot of differences. First of all, I didn't save you from drowning.”

”Oh, thank god that you didn't.”

They were both grinning.

”What? Don't you believe in my saving skills?” Adrien raised his eyebrows and pretended to be offended. ”Listen, I've saved a lot of humans in my life.”

”Lies.”

Adrien flashed her a brilliant smile and Marinette felt like she could melt right then and there. She was sure she had actual hearts shimmering in her eyes.

”Everything would be great if you just pretended to believe my words”, he said, his smile growing wider and wider. ”It would make me seem interesting.”

”But you are very interesting already.” The words kind of just slipped out of her, making the hearts in her eyes crack. She wished she could take the words back.

The silence that followed was an uncomfortable one. Adrien stared at her, mouth slightly open, stunned at her honest statement.

She covered her mouth with her right hand and started waving the left one frantically. ”I mean, you're a merman so obviously you're interesting! To humans. I didn't mean that _I'd_ be interested _in_ you or anything. That would be weird, wouldn't it? A merman and a human... I mean... Oh god.”

She knew her cheeks were on fire and her stammering helped nothing. Biting her lip hard, she buried her face in her hands. Horrible questions filled her head, questions like _did she in fact have a thing for merpeople_ or _did Adrien find out she thought he was hot, scales and all._

She punched herself mentally. Had she really just called a merman hot? _Hot?_ That was messed up.

Marinette was already planning a visit to a psychiatrist.

A moment later, she dared to take a quick glance at her cat eared guest. Adrien was still blinking when she met his eyes. His lips were parted and his face was blank. She needed to fix the situation and the atmosphere immediately.

Marinette took a deep breath, her voice now more controlled. ”What I meant was that you're a merman and a prince so that makes you interesting.”

 _Yes, that's it!_ she praised herself. _You managed not to sound creepy, keep going!_

”You're interesting because you're the first prince that I've ever met, it's no surprise I think you're hot. Uh, hotheaded! No, no, that's not it. I think you're ho... ho... homosexual! No-not that it matters because, like I said earlier, I'm not interested... in you...” She gave up, groaning.

Adrien must have blinked at least five thousand times before Marinette stopped her blabbering. Her face was as red as strawberries. The earth had her permission to swallow her instantly or maybe Chloé was finally ready to shoot a bullet through her brain, she wouldn't mind one bit. Maybe she was just simply going to die of embarrassment and the sofa would end up being her grave.

Eventually, Adrien recovered from her mumbling. He coughed.

”Um, thanks? But being a prince doesn't make me interesting. There are dozens of other mermaid princes out there. I just wish that my personality was interesting.”

Marinette had to bite her lower lip again to keep herself from screaming _'but it is!'_.

Then, suddenly, something close to fear flashed on Adrien's face. ”Wait, does it make me a target here on land? That I'm a prince? How many mermaids have you humans captured? Do you _kill_ the ones you find?”

Marinette quickly rested her hand on his shoulder. His breathing was rapid and shallow, eyes widened. He was trembling.

”Hey, hey, don't worry. As far as I know we've captured 0”, she said in a soothing voice. ”I had no idea mermaids even existed before you showed up.”

Adrien seemed to relax a bit, but Marinette could still see the worry that lingered on his face. His skin was cold and the black and green scales were twinkling and he was just so beautiful that Marinette had to fight the urge to look at his lips. Her mind was screaming, telling her not to touch him, reminding her of the boundaries she had set.

”I'll protect you”, she blurted out all of a sudden.

Like magic, the worry in his eyes disappeared. Now he looked confused instead.

”Sorry?”

”I said that I will protect you. With my life”, she repeated with more confidence this time. ”As long as you're here, no one can take you away against your will. No one will cage you, I promise.”

His ears were perked up, eyebrows high above his eyes. ”Do you really mean that?” His voice was surprisingly small.

”Yes”, Marinette whispered. ”Yes.”

And then, Adrien leaned closer.

Marinette panicked. She backed up.

”Wh-wh-what are you doing?” she screeched.

Adrien stopped, frowning.

”This is how merpeople make promises”, he explained. ”Come, press your forehead against mine.”

Hesitantly, she rested her forehead against his and held her breath. She was so close she could see every little detail of his face. It was almost unfair how she couldn't find a single flaw. Were all mermaids this pretty? Or was her heart just so blindly in love with Adrien already that it made her vision unreliable?

”Close your eyes.”

She did.

Adrien stared at her long eyelashes for a few seconds before closing his eyes, too. There was a huge smile on his face, he was almost too excited to stay still.

They stayed like that for a while, forehead against forehead.

”Now, all you need to do is say 'I promise'”, Adrien whispered.

”I promise”, she repeated after him confidently, the promise coming straight from her heart. When she pulled back, his cheeks were slightly pink.

”I trust you”, Adrien said and nodded his head, feeling something swell in his chest. Promises seemed so simple when in reality their oath was anything but.

Marinette then proceeded to show him how a pinky promise was made, entwining their little fingers together. Adrien laughed, happiness reaching his green eyes.

His bubbly laughter filled her with joy. _Please, do that again_ , she wanted to say, but knew laughter didn't work that way.

Eventually, she burst into a puddle of laughter, too, her giggles softening the room. Adrien found himself full on grinning as he watched her. Her laughter made him feel as if he was wrapped in a warm blanket of her caring, she made him feel like he'd be protected from everything around him. She could easily become his happiness, his life, his _home_ if she wanted, if she let him.

A smile bloomed over his lips at the thought.

”Sooo...” he started after Marinette could properly breathe again. ”You think I'm like Ariel?”

”Yep”, she said and let out a tiny giggle.

”Does that make you prince Eric, then?”

Adrien's smirk made her heart jump to her throat and she almost choked on her giggle. She coughed.

”Ah, no”, she replied. ”I'm not a princess or anything.”

”But you would be if you married me.”

Marinette's mind went blank for a second.

” _WHAT?_ ” she screeched loudly, almost jumping through the ceiling. Adrien covered his cat ears and the grimace on his face made her ears turn red in return. She wondered what it would be like if she got rid of the blushing curse that clearly haunted her.

Marinette let out a nervous laugh to hide her embarrassment. ”You mean, uh, _purr_ incess, right?” she tried, hoping that her pun would release some of the weird tension.

Now it was Adrien's turn to stare at her with a blank expression.

”Yes, please, marry me”, he said without blinking, face serious.

Marinette laughed at that and leaped from the sofa.

She didn't know he was serious.

 

_Wash away every footprint I have ever taken without you_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Alya and Nino meet the catfish (ﾉ･o･)ﾉ !!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I really hope you liked it! Have a cat ヽ(=①ω①=)ノ  
> Feedback is always appreciated!


	3. You sweeten up my life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, more fluff.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, very peaceful and quiet, and the sky held a soft orange glow. It was a warm and lovely day, anyone would have enjoyed the yellow sunshine of a perfect spring day.

Just like everyone else, Marinette Dupain-Cheng loved spring. Spring was beautiful because of the budding trees, the blossoming flowers and the soft ocean water. Spring was so green, such tender green that it easily filled her heart with joy.

All in all spring in Cannes was relaxing, but right now, nothing felt relaxing at all. Marinette bit her finger nails as her other hand held her phone. Nervously she glanced at Adrien who was lying on the couch listening to her call with curious eyes and a small smile playing on his lips.

His eyes were the exact same soft green that she loved. Every time he locked his eyes on her, her heart jumped in her chest. His face was so distracting it was unfair.

” _You found **a merman** by accident while walking on the beach four days ago and you didn't think to mention this before because...? What the hell, Marinette!_ ” her best friend suddenly screeched into the speaker.

Marinette yanked the phone away from her ear and dropped it on the floor. She covered her ears.

” _Marinette? Marinette!_ ” Alya was trying to destroy her eardrums. ” _How did this even happen? Did he just show up at your door like some stray animal looking to be fed? I need to know everything. Marinette, are you still there? Ok, listen, I'm calling Nino. Let's meet at the beach in an hour. Bring the fish with you._ ”

After that she hung up.

The room was quiet for a moment as both Marinette and Adrien stared at the phone. Marinette could only pray that Alya wouldn't bury her alive for not telling her sooner. Alya's anger was something she didn't want to face.

Marinette groaned and closed her eyes. Adrien had told her the day before that he had no friends, and she had thought that it was time to change that. She should have known better, she should have known that this was a bad idea. Now that Alya was involved, there was no way this would end well.

She let out another frustrated groan, this time a louder one.

”Interesting”, Adrien mumbled without taking his eyes off her phone.

Marinette huffed. ”Sorry about that. Alya... She's great, but when it comes to–”

”No, no, I was talking about that... that thing. Phone, did you say it was? It's pretty interesting”, Adrien corrected.

”Oh.” Marinette's eyes moved from Adrien to her phone. She picked it up and handed it to him.

Adrien waisted no time. He started tapping the phone furiously, trying to figure out how the device worked.

Marinette sat beside him, amused. She stared at his ears that were twitching and his tongue that stuck out as he tried to concentrate. Only one word came to her mind when she looked at him: cute.

Marinette leaned back.

”I bet you've never seen one of those before.” She said and nodded towards her phone with a proud, smug smile.

”Nope”, Adrien replied as he tried to figure out her password. ”It's very different from ours.”

The smug look on her face melted slightly.

”You... You have phones?” The surprise was evident in her voice.

Adrien frowned when he failed to bypass the phone's lock screen pattern. He passed the phone back into Marinette's waiting hands, looking a little disappointed.

”Well, we use seashells, but yes.”

”What? Really? How is that possible? How do they work?” Marinette asked a question after question.

Adrien let out a big yawn, stretching out as far as he could. Then he flashed her a brilliant, wide smile that made Marinette's heart skip a beat. Again. It was starting to become really annoying.

”I'll show you once we get to the beach”, Adrien promised. He winked at her, and this time Marinette's heart agreed with her brain as they both went _ugh_.

 

Marinette was wearing her overall shorts and a flower crown that was made out of small yellow flowers. The smile on her face was huge as she looked at herself in the mirror. She knew she looked good.

Adrien was already sitting in the old wheelchair. He tried to be polite, he really really tried not to stare, but it was hard when the girl in front of him was so damn adorable. He stared in wonder as she admired herself with a pleased smile. Adrien was quite literally enchanted.

”I think I look cute.” Marinette nodded to herself before turning around and meeting his gaze. ”What do you think?”

Adrien cleared his throat. ”L-looks great.”

Marinette's smile turned into a grin when she heard him stutter.

”Thanks, kitty”, she chirped. Before she could even think about what she was doing, she reached down to pet his fluffy hair. It was even softer than it looked.

Adrien tensed immediately.

Marinette's body went stiff, too, when she realized what she had done. She yanked her hand away quickly, her mind screaming _'stupidstupidstupid!'_

She was about to apologize, but the look on Adrien's face stopped her. He was biting his lower lip, a shy glimmer in his eyes. He nodded to her encouragingly.

Marinette blinked a few times, unsure. Slowly her fingers returned to his hair, petting it softly. So softly that Adrien almost felt like he was melting into the touch. Marinette gasped quietly when she felt him relax and close his eyes reflexively. Feeling much bolder, she dug her fingers deeper into the messy blond locks, occasionally touching his cat ears.

Adrien was seeing stars. Marinette's touch was downright heavenly.

Suddenly he heard a quiet hum that got louder and louder by the second. Terrified, he realized that it actually came from him. A light blush spread across his cheeks.

The low purr in his chest was audible and Marinette's eyes widened the moment she heard it. She pulled her hand away, startled.

”Are you _purring_?” she gaped, eyes growing wider and wider. ”Are you sure you're not a real cat?”

”Positive”, Adrien replied, just a tiny bit disappointed that the petting was over. ”I'm _purr_ fec-”

Marinette raised her hand, silencing him before he could finish his lame cat pun. ”Don't. Even. Think about it.”

Adrien gazed up at her with what he hoped was an innocent expression. Marinette just rolled her eyes at him.

To cover his ears, she gave him her father's black beanie. His pointy ears still tried to poke out, but at least he looked somewhat normal. Normal meaning more human. Then she wrapped the green blanket around his waist to hide his fishtail.

Marinette looked at him for a few seconds. She had to cover her mouth with her hand as she fought the urge to giggle.

Adrien frowned at her reaction and turned to look at himself in the mirror. His eyebrows went up.

He looked... ridiculous. That was the best word to describe him at that moment. Not only did he look ridiculous, he also felt ridiculous. He was a merman who never wore any clothes and yet here he was. It was warm outside and he was dressed in a hat and a blanket while his chest was mostly bare.

Adrien grimaced. ”I look stupid.”

”No, you don't”, Marinette said, chuckling. ”All the other merman princes would green with envy if they saw you now. You look stylish, I assure you.”

She patted his shoulder briefly before opening the door for him. The warmth of her palm lingered, sinking into his skin.

Suddenly Adrien's head was spinning a little, but not in a good way. His heart began to race as his chest tightened, but he brushed off the feeling as excitement.

”Shall we go, Chat Noir?” Marinette asked. She had a playful smile on her face.

Adrien shook his head lightly, trying to get rid of the slight dizziness. Then he pouted at the mirror.

_Ridiculous._

Adrien put his hands on the wheels and rolled them forward. ”Can I have one more croissant before we leave, my lady?”

 

-/-/-/-

 

The spring air was hot and heavy and usually Marinette would have loved it. Not today, though. She was sweaty and tired from pushing Adrien's chair around the city and the heat wasn't helping.

Moving with a wheelchair turned out to be much more difficult than she had expected. First of all, the lack of sidewalks was infuriating. And then there was the beach. The beach was a bitch to wheelchairs. There was nothing but sand, sand and more sand. Marinette and Adrien learned very quickly that sand and wheelchairs didn't go well together.

When they finally made it to the beach, it was crowded. Marinette was already cranky, kicking the sand and huffing as they slowly got closer to the ocean. She was in a very bad mood.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Adrien eyed the crowd. Children playing in the sand, human girls his age basking in the sun, families swimming in the ocean. Adrien seemed to shrink. He felt like the warm air was trying to suffocate him.

He was a stranger, he didn't belong there.

Unconsciously he tightened his grip on the handles.

”Hey, you're doing good”, Marinette whispered when she noticed his discomfort. ”Don't worry. I'll keep you safe.”

Adrien nodded, pulling the beanie down to hide his eyes.

They got stuck in the sand. Adrien gazed up at Marinette with worried eyes when the girl groaned loudly, trying to move the chair forcefully. Meeting his eyes, she changed the irritated look into a small smile, trying to show him that it was no big deal. Adrien didn't look convinced.

”I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble”, he mumbled and hung his head.

”No, no, it's ok!” She waved her hands. ”I can do this, I'm stronger than I look!”

Sadness clouded Adrien's features. He sighed.

”I don't doubt that but...” He jerked his tail a tiny bit and sighed again.

Marinette understood. She took a deep breath, putting her hands on her hips.

”Listen, kitty, we'll find a nice spot where there won't be others and you won't have to hide. We'll have a great day”, she declared, determined. ”You'll be fine. I promised to protect you, remember?”

The sadness in the merman's eyes disappeared and it was replaced by something else that Marinette couldn't quite put her finger on. His green eyes widened first, then narrowed slightly. Was it disbelief? Surprise? Maybe both, maybe neither, she couldn't really tell. The only thing she could fully focus on was the burning feeling on her cheeks. His stare was intense.

Adrien opened his mouth slowly. ”Marinette...”

She mentally cursed the way he said her name, because it left her breathless. He made her heart jump with those soft eyes, with those soft looking lips that she so badly wanted to kiss. She wanted to touch his fluffy hair again, she wanted his gentle voice to whisper her name against her lips, out of breath, just like she was right now.

Adrien's cheeks turned pink, too. Marinette really hoped that mermaids couldn't read minds.

”A-are you...” For some reason Adrien struggled to look her in the eye. ”N-no one has ever–”

”Marinette, over here!”

Startled, Adrien almost fell off the wheelchair when the loud voice broke his messy thought process. Maybe it was for the best that the voice cut him off, though, he thought. He wasn't being very smooth anyway, stuttering and all.

Marinette closed her eyes and gulped. That was Alya's voice.

She turned around to see both of her friends approaching them. She waved her hand nervously, heart racing. She could feel how Adrien's concerned eyes were trying to meet hers, but she was frozen. At that moment, the only thing she was worried about was Alya. Nino she could handle, the boy probably wouldn't ask too many question, but Alya was a different story. Marinette knew her best friend wouldn't leave her alone until she was sure she knew everything.

Marinette could practically already feel Alya boring into her brain telepathically, trying to dig up information.

”Hi!” Nino greeted them cheerfully. Marinette was too nervous to reply anything so she just gave him a weak smile, turning to look at her best friend. The girl's eyes were slightly narrowed.

”Hmm.” Alya's brow knitted together as she eyed Adrien warily. ”So this is, uhh...”

Adrien straightened his back as fast as lightning. With the sweetest smile Marinette had ever seen, he bowed politely. It was enough to make even the quick-witted Alya speechless.

Marinette frowned. The smile on his face was far from the wide grins he usually gave her. Was that overly sweet smile his prince smile, something he knew would make others like him? Anyhow, a tiny jealous tingle curled in Marinette's stomach.

”Hello, nice to meet you”, Adrien greeted. The tone of his voice was unfamiliar to her, too.

Alya just blinked, mouth slightly open.

”You must be Alya and Nino. Marinette has told me a lot about you.” Adrien bowed to Nino next. ”I'm Ad–”

”This is Chat Noir!” Marinette exclaimed suddenly, interrupting Adrien. She patted his head rather violently, but tried hard not to hit his ears.

Adrien opened and closed his mouth a few times before looking up and frowning. This wasn't the type of petting he wanted.

Marinette just gave him an awkward smile.

”Chat... Noir?” Alya repeated after her and raised an eyebrow.

Marinette flashed Alya her biggest grin. ”Yup! Chat Noir!”

Again, Alya narrowed her eyes dangerously at her.

Nino stared at Adrien's beanie, or rather the two small bumps on top of his head. His widened eyes moved from the beanie to the green blanket. He leaned a little closer.

”Dude... what are you?” he whispered with a shocked expression.

Adrien's eyes seemed to almost pop out of his head at the question.

”Catfish! I'm a _catfish_!” he announced, way louder than he should have. People were starting to stare at them and give them funny looks, but Adrien just raised both of his hands in victory. He turned to look at Marinette, his wide grin back on his face.

”Holy mackerel, Marinette! I didn't think I would actually ever get to use that!” He laughed excitedly, bouncing up and down in his seat. He almost dropped the blanket in the process, exposing his tail.

Marinette was sure she had never seen Nino as confused. The poor boy's eyes seemed to be permanently glued to Adrien's lower half. Alya was staring at Adrien with a doubtful expression, too, but that wasn't surprising.

Marinette gave her friends a quick apologetic smile. Her kitty was absolutely adorable, yes, but also extremely embarrassing.

”Chat, please... People are staring”, she reminded and patted his head some more.

Adrien's cat ears flattened to his head, trying to avoid her fingers. He looked up to meet her eyes.

”It's ok, you'll protect me, won't you?”

The shit eating grin on his face made her want to push him out of the wheelchair. Marinette had to close her eyes and count to ten to calm herself.

”Yes, that's right”, she said after a moment, ”but we don't want to attract too much attention.”

 _That's okay, as long as I attract you,_ Adrien commented in his mind. Thankfully he was smart enough not to say it out loud.

Never taking his eyes off Adrien, Nino brought both of his hands to his head as if he was going to rip his hair out. He spun around once and gasped dramatically, the shock evident on his face. He looked like he was about to pass out.

”This is crazy!” he cried. ”Crazy _cool_! Whoa, I think I need some ice cream right now, you know, to sort out my thoughts. Do you want to come with me?”

Adrien's brain worked extremely slowly. He pointed to himself.

”Me?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

Nino nodded encouragingly, and Marinette noticed how the little bumps moved under Adrien's beanie. Hopeful, his head shot up to meet her eyes again. He was waiting for her permission.

She simply grinned at him in response. Adrien grinned back.

”Okay then.” Nino grabbed the handles and started to push the wheelchair towards the only ice cream truck on the beach. Just like Marinette, Nino soon discovered that it was easier said than done. They were moving painfully slow. Adrien was quite sure he heard the boy mutter something about sand under his breath.

Nino struggled with the chair while Marinette and Alya just laughed at him. Adrien apologized to Nino at least a thousand times for being a burden.

”No worries, man.” Nino smiled friendly. ”I got this.”

Adrien didn't know what he had done to deserve this stranger's kindness.

It took awhile, but they finally made it to the ice cream truck. Nino collapsed on the sand, exhausted.

Marinette watched as Adrien nervously ordered his ice cream. She was unaware of the gentle smile that slowly worked its way across her face, but Alya definitely wasn't. She stared at Marinette with a knowing look. Marinette's soft smile only grew when she saw Nino laugh at something the merman said. Adrien's face turned red and he looked embarrassed.

”Sooo...” Alya started in a teasing tone, sliding closer. Her eyes held a glint of humour as she nudged Marinette with her elbow. ”How's it been?”

Marinette considered her words carefully. ”It has been...”

Lovely, confusing, _wonderful_.

”...a disaster, really.”

A wonderful disaster.

Alya snorted. ”Why am I not surprised to hear this.”

Suddenly Adrien's loud voice interrupted their conversation. ”I think you mean that it has been a _cat_ astrophe, Marinette!”

Marinette turned to look at the stupid grin on his face.

”Both words have the same meaning but for some reason I happen to prefer catastrophe!” Then he burst out laughing, his whole body shaking.

Everyone on the beach stopped for a moment to stare at the boy in the wheelchair. Most of them looked annoyed. The unwanted attention made Nino look so lost that Marinette felt bad for him. He just stood there with two ice cream cones in his hands, a blush working its way up his neck while Adrien just proudly snickered at his own words.

Marinette fought the urge to hide in shame. In that moment she seriously considered making her kitty an indoor cat.

Alya turned to Marinette with a surprised look. Then she glanced back at Adrien. Marinette wasn't sure whether the look on her friend's face was supposed to be an amused grin or a grimace.

”Whoa, your cat has super hearing”, Alya said then and gave Marinette a curious look.

Marinette opened her mouth to tell her that it definitely wasn't the strangest thing about Adrien. For goodness' sake that fish could _purr_. But before she could say anything, a voice interrupted them, again. This time it was Nino, shouting something incoherent. Marinette heard Adrien gasp and she turned just in time to see him drop his ice cream on her green blanket.

Adrien's big eyes met her gaze. He looked shocked.

”Marinette...” he started slowly, wiping mint chocolate off the blanket. ”I think I might have caused another _cat_ astrophe.”

Sighing, Marinette rolled her eyes, and Alya next to her winced.

”Not only does he have super hearing, but really lame puns, too, I see”, Alya whispered to her. Ok, now the look on her face was definitely a grimace.

When Nino and Adrien returned, Nino looked like the wheelchair had drained all of his physical resources. Adrien was holding two ice cream cones in his hands since Nino - being the nice guy that he was - had agreed to buy him another one.

The merman raised his arms high. ”Look, look, Marinette!”

His smile was huge and happy, and Marinette was worried he'd drop the cones again.

Nino took a deep breath and mopped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Then he started laughing.

”He tried to order a croissant flavoured ice cream”, Nino told them, wiping happy tears from his eyes. ”I'm so glad I got to witness that.”

Marinette turned to look at Adrien, an overwhelming feeling of love suddenly filling her. Her cheeks literally hurt from smiling so much. It made her feel kind of dumb, but then again, she was too happy to actually care. She was bubbling with happiness and it felt good.

Adrien took an eager bite, humming in delight at the delectable flavour. He closed his eyes, a smile on his lips. He was in utter bliss.

Ok, it was official, he loved ice cream. He was _in love_ with ice cream. If someone had asked him five minutes ago who he thought was the love of his life, he would have answered that it was most likely Marinette Dupain-Cheng. But now... now he wasn't so sure anymore.

Still, the first person he turned to after tasting his ice cream was Marinette. She gave him a confused look when he offered her his ice cream.

”You have to try this”, he explained, trying to shove the ice cream cone to her face. ”It's heavenly.”

Marinette blinked twice before chuckling. She shook her head, and Adrien pouted at her.

”No, thank you, Chat. It's all yours”, she said, smiling. ”Don't worry, I know what it tastes like.”

Adrien just shrugged and continued eating. Her loss.

Marinette stared at Adrien's pretty lips that were covered with ice cream, the sudden urge to kiss him shocking her. It was like someone was scratching her brain.

Was it possible to fall in love in less than a week? The feeling had hit her body like lightning, it had come out of nowhere. It was like roses and knives, sweet but sharp. It wasn't exactly painful, the feeling in her chest, but desperate.

Quickly, she pushed the thoughts of kissing him aside. She heard Alya say something, but couldn't make out the words. She just hummed in response, lost in thought.

Marinette watched Adrien's mouth open and close, open and close. He licked the ice cream, a big smile constantly on his face. Only when Alya rested a hand on her shoulder, Marinette woke from her thoughts. She tore her eyes from him to look at her best friend, acting as though she had heard what she had said.

”Don't worry, he's smitten like a kitten”, Alya whispered with a wink. ”Your flower crown looks super cute, by the way.”

There was a pause.

” _Wh-what?_ ” Marinette shrieked. A blush seared its way across her face as her expression went pink. She had apparently missed a huge part of the conversation.

”What? It suits you.”

”No, no, I meant... what you said about him being smitten...” Her ears were burning.

Alya had called Adrien _smitten_. Smitten like a...

Marinette froze, replaying Alya's words in her mind. Her nose gave a small, annoyed wrinkle as she glared at her friend. Alya just grinned back wickedly.

Marinette groaned.

”Why is everyone making cat puns now?” she asked and shook her head. ”A-and how do you know he's... smitten?”

Alya threw her head back and laughed loudly. She patted her friend's back.

”Oh, Marinette, it's because I know everything. Luckily for Chat Noir, you are equally smitten with him. ”

Marinette didn't look convinced. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance as Alya wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

”It's true, I'm serious!” Alya nodded her head dozens of times, offended that Marinette didn't believe her. ”But I'm still not 100% sure that he's actually a merman. He could be an alien, you know, doing undercover work. You can never be too careful.”

”Look who's talking.” Marinette rolled her eyes. ”You're always reckless. _I'm_ the reasonable one. You're never worried about anything, I have to do the worrying for both of us.”

Alya didn't confirm it or deny it, she just shrugged and took her phone out of her pocket. Without warning, she pushed Marinette closer to Adrien. Marinette accidentally hit the wheelchair.

Alya winked. ”Say cheese!”

The picture turned out horribly. Marinette's mouth was open, eyes wide as she stared at the blanket that was slipping from Adrien's waist. Most of the mint chocolate ice cream was now on the tip of his nose. On top of that, Adrien's eyes were closed.

Blinking, Adrien turned to look at Alya and the phone in her hand. Then his eyes moved to Marinette and for some reason he was smiling. It was a ridiculous look on him, Marinette thought. Chocolate on his nose and a smile that reached his ears on his lips.

”Perfect”, Alya stated, showing Nino the picture and giving him a high-five. They laughed when Marinette glared at them.

Nino turned to Adrien.

”You're pretty cool, Chat Noir”, he said with a friendly smile. ”I don't know why Alya was so worried.”

Adrien was touched by his words. He couldn't believe that he was actually making friends, _real_ friends.

”Yeah, but one thing.” Alya pointed at his chair. ”You'll need a new wheelchair if you're going to keep hanging out with us. I've heard that the electric ones can be surprisingly fast.”

Adrien's eyes welled up with tears. He had never felt this welcome.

There was no trace of annoyance on Marinette's face anymore. The irritation she felt earlier had disappeared completely.

She had brought a merman to meet her friends. _A freaking merman_ and they accepted him straight away because they knew how much it meant to her. Marinette had always known she had the best friends in the world, but this was the first time she properly appreciated everything they did for her. She was so lucky to have these people in her life.

She wasn't sure what came over her, but before she knew it she was hugging her friends tightly, not wanting to let go. She tried to say thank you, but her voice was stuck in her throat. She felt Alya pet her head gently. Nino just let out an awkward laugh and adjusted his glasses.

Adrien watched them with a small smile on his lips. Perhaps he, too, could be part of the group hug one day.

 

_It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all_

– _Laura Ingalls-Wilder_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Our babies are extremely confused because they want to kiss each other so badly (ﾉ･o･)ﾉ !!
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it! Apologies for any grammar/spelling errors, please feel free to correct them :)


	4. They forgot in their happiness that even lovers drown

Night was coming. A starry sky loomed above, and the moon and the sea were ready to meet each other.

Alya and Nino had already left, but Marinette and Adrien were still on the beach. The ocean made Adrien calm for obvious reasons and he still wanted to show Marinette how seashells worked.

The beach wasn't empty yet, which meant that Adrien couldn't just jump into the sea to find seashells. He was itching to touch the water. It had been _days_ and his body felt strange.

Marinette picked a seashell for him. The one she found washed up on the shore was shaped like a whipped ice cream. It was tiny, delicate and light in her outstretched palm. Marinette checked that there weren't any sea creatures alive in it before handing the small shell to Adrien.

”Is this okay?” she asked.

Adrien studied the seashell closely, turning it in his hand.

”It's quite small which means my voice will sound broken”, he replied without raising his gaze. ”The smaller the seashell the weaker the signal. This one also has a chip on it, but it should work.”

Marinette nodded, waiting for more instructions.

”Ok, what is your number?” Adrien wanted to know.

She told him and after a pause, added, ”Are you really sure this will work?”

Adrien didn't reply. Slowly, he pressed the seashell to his lips and started whispering something. Marinette couldn't make out any of his words, because the only thing she could focus on was the look on his face. His green eyes were intense, but Marinette refused to blush. She didn't want him to know how much he really affected her, not when his eyes were that smug.

It turned into a staring contest. Marinette was the first to turn away when her phone started ringing.

The caller was unknown.

For a few seconds Marinette just gaped at her phone, having a hard time believing all of this was real.

”Cool, huh?” Adrien grinned while waving the small, creamy coloured seashell in his hand. Her phone stopped buzzing the moment he stopped whispering.

Marinette thought about all the mermaid movies she had seen and all the fairytale books she had read. In stories, it wasn't uncommon for mermaids to use seashells, that was how they stayed in touch beneath the sea.

”Unoriginal, I'd say”, Marinette replied and shrugged.

Adrien's grin faltered when he saw her unimpressed look. He drew his face in a scowl, looking at her with kitten eyes.

Puppy eyes or kitten eyes, it didn't matter, both worked on Marinette. The girl couldn't help but laugh at his expression, happiness instantly bubbling within her. Every time Adrien heard her giggle it softened his (admittedly already soft) heart.

He had started to feel a bit dizzy again, but said nothing. He didn't want to worry her, especially when she was smiling like that.

Marinette walked to him and looked at the seashell with a fond look on her face.

”When I was younger I was told that if you hold a seashell to your ear you can hear the ocean whisper”, she told him, touching the shell lightly. ”Pretty stupid, don't you think?”

Suddenly an invisible light bulb appeared above Adrien's head.

”Would you like to hear it?” he asked, licking his lips. ”The ocean whispering, I mean.”

Marinette looked at him with surprised eyes.

”Is it possible?” She was trying to hide her childish excitement, but the grin that formed on Adrien's face told her that she wasn't doing a very good job.

He nodded eagerly. ”I'm from the ocean.”

It was silent for a moment. Marinette raised an eyebrow.

”Um, I am aware”, she said, dragging out each word. ”What does it have to do with hearing the ocean?”

Adrien had to take a moment to swallow.

”What I mean is... I'm part of the ocean, so...” For someone who had lived his whole life in the sea, his mouth was oddly dry. ”P-put your ear against my lips so I can whisper something.”

He felt the warmth of a blush crawl up his neck as he watched Marinette's eyes widen and her lips part. He could see that she had expected something different.

Adrien gulped. He had no idea what had made him so brave all of a sudden. What made him say these things when most of his life he had been taught to keep quiet? But even though his words were bold, his face gave him away. He was a nervous wreck, terrified of how she was going to answer.

Marinette was brave, too, but not brave enough to tell him that instead of her ear, she would have preferred if he whispered against her lips. To be more specific, she wanted him to whisper _her name_ , again and again as she –

Marinette had to stop her mind from going any further.

Anyway, this was an opportunity she didn't want to miss.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, she knelt in front of the wheelchair. Even though she looked surprisingly calm outside, her heart was thundering in her chest.

Adrien blushed madly. It was a good thing he was stuck in the wheelchair, otherwise he might have chickened out of the plan at the last minute. He shook his head slightly before leaning closer, admiring her side profile for a moment. His hands were a little shaky as he rested them on her shoulders. He could only pray his voice would be more stable than his body.

Marinette stopped breathing the second she felt Adrien's cool breath tickle her skin, it sent chills down her spine. Funny how she heard him inhale at the exact same time her lungs stopped working.

And then...

”Meow.”

Marinette's mind went blank, her brain was empty. For a moment, everything was very quiet in her head.

Adrien burst out laughing as Marinette stared at nothing. His laugh was loud, mostly to hide his embarrassment but also because he really thought he was hilarious.

Marinette narrowed her eyes, finally turning to look at the merman. Adrien was laughing with his eyes closed, holding his stomach with his right hand and wiping tiny tears from his eyes with his left. Marinette wanted to be angry, she really did. He had made her wish for something stupid. She had made her feel something she didn't want to feel, only to make it all worse. But as she looked at him laugh like he had just cracked the best joke in the world, her heart just laughed along with him. Maybe feeling foolish was worth it, she thought.

Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

”Okay, _kitty_ ”, she said and got to her feet. ”I think it's time to go home.”

 

-/-/-/-

 

”Would you like some pie?” Marinette asked as she parked the wheelchair next to the living room sofa. Adrien took off the black beanie that he had worn the whole day, letting his cat ears free.

They were finally home after the long, amazing day. Adrien would not be exaggerating if he said that it had been the best day of his life. His eyes were still full of light. After being alone for so long, he had no idea what to do with the euphoric feeling that was blooming in his chest.

Spending a day with people who seemed to want him around despite the fact that he was a merman, had been an eye-opening experience for Adrien, truly. He wanted to do it again, preferably every day.

Up until now, his father had controlled everything. What he did, what he ate, where he went, who he met. He had not been allowed to leave the cave that was both his home and his prison _,_ without his father's permission. For years Adrien craved for freedom and when the opportunity to escape finally arrived, Adrien took it to gain the freedom he felt he deserved. But since he basically never left the cave, he got lost very quickly and accidentally found himself in Cannes five days later.

He never thought he'd be this lucky.

Mermaids loved things that shined, that was a well known fact. For example, they collected gold and jewels that glowed like their scales. Adrien, however, was not the jewelry type, because he found beauty in much different things. He found beauty in soft laughter and bright blue eyes. He was mesmerized by the sun and the sky, ice cream and pastries. Marinette and her world fascinated him. He was a child of the ocean but he wanted the land to become his second home. He wanted to stay so badly. He wanted to stay, not only in Marinette's world, but in her life as well. Forever.

Marinette helped him on the sofa and gave him the green blanket to keep him warm.

”My dad baked the pie before they left. What do you say?”

The way Adrien looked at her with his ears perked and eyes shining gave her the answer.

One side of her mouth quirked up. ”I guess that's a yes?”

Adrien nodded his head dozens of times, eyes twinkling with excitement.

Marinette struggled not to giggle. Were all mermaids this excited about food? Were they all this _cute_?

Something told her that Adrien was a special case.

Humming to herself, Marinette took the pie out of the fridge along with a few cupcakes she had baked the day before she met Adrien. She started to set the table. Adrien's eyes followed her every move, fascinated by everything she did. When Marinette stole a quick glance at him, Adrien beamed at her.

”Tadaa!” She clapped her hands together once everything was ready.

Adrien did not try to hold back his big grin. He thought she was adorable and wanted to show it in every way possible.

Marinette opened the fridge again, smiling.

”What would you like to drink? Water?” she asked. ”I recommend strawberry juice, it goes well with sal...”

Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened in horror. She spun around to look at the pie that was waiting on the kitchen table.

The pie was salmon flavoured. Her father had baked salmon pie. Marinette almost fed her merman guest _fish_.

She rushed to grab the pie and forcefully shoved it back into the fridge, slamming the door shut.

Adrien's dorky grin didn't fade, but his eyes revealed that he was a little confused.

Marinette stifled an awkward chuckle. ”Let's just eat cupcakes, yeah?”

”Cupcakes sound good, too”, Adrien responded with one of his disarming smiles.

Automatically Marinette let out a lovestruck sigh before clearing her throat. She sat down next to him and offered him a cupcake.

Adrien took one from the tray and bit into it, immediately letting out a low sound that sounded almost like a purr. He wore the facial expression of a small child with an especially large Christmas present.

”Marinette”, he mumbled, his widened eyes slowly moving from the cupcake to her face. ” _Marinette._ ”

The girl only snorted.

Adrien ate the cupcake in three ravenous bites. Not very graceful or prince-like, but he didn't care. When he was with Marinette he didn't have to think about being perfect and he was thankful for that. Besides, if him eating like a pig made her eyes shine the way they were shining at that moment, he needed to pig more often.

Marinette offered him another one and Adrien accepted the small cupcake with a grateful smile. He licked the pink frosting.

All of a sudden the room started spinning, everything went out of focus. Adrien's head felt heavy. He had been feeling funny since that morning but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. But now... something was wrong.

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening them again. Everything looked blurry. He covered his eyes with his hand.

Marinette looked at him, worried.

”Adrien, are you okay?” She touched his shoulder gently. He was shaking a little.

Adrien removed his hand, blinked and turned to stare at the floor. He clutched at his chest, swallowing hard.

”I feel kind of... dizzy.”

”Lay down, you look pale. Do you want something to drink?”

”No, it's okay”, he assured, waving his hand to show it wasn't a big deal. ”I'm just tired. It's already 11:30pm, after all.”

Marinette shook her head. To her it looked like he was about to pass out.

”Nuh-uh, I'm getting you a glass of water”, she said firmly and reached for the sink.

Adrien shrugged. He knew there was no point in arguing with her.

He gazed out of the window, hoping that the dizziness would pass soon. The moon was full, the sky full of stars and the familiar sounds coming from the nearby ocean were comforting. He relaxed a little, the thought of the sea calming him.

Marinette returned from the kitchen with a glass of water in her hand. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him. Her breath hitched in her throat.

The pale light of the moon shone through the uncurtained window, casting a beautiful glow on Adrien's golden hair and brilliant eyes. She could practically see green galaxies in his irises.

Watching his profile as he looked out of the window, Marinette's heartbeat whimpered pathetically. He looked peaceful and stunning and for a short moment she was completely speechless. Marinette wondered if this was how it felt to be fully content with everything in the world. Instead of focusing on how dark the night really was, you just saw the twinkling stars and the kind-hearted moon.

Adrien might have been but one star amid millions of burning suns, but he definitely shone the brightest.

”I like swimming in the moonlight. You should try it sometime.” Marinette heard him say and she gathered her thoughts quickly. She really needed to get a hold of herself because this was getting ridiculous.

She nodded and hummed in response as she handed him the glass of water. ”We can try that the moment you feel better.”

Adrien immediately placed his right hand over his heart.

”In that case I promise to get better right away”, he vowed, a very serious look on his face. Then he shot her a wink, and Marinette rolled her eyes.

She grabbed the green blanket, tucked him in and showed him a small smile. Adrien smiled back at her.

Hesitantly, she reached down to pet his hair gently. She felt him shiver, and a quiet purr rumbled softly in his chest. His breathing was steady and calm.

Marinette's small smile grew. She liked to hear her catfish purr, she liked to know he felt good.

Unintentionally her eyes flickered to his lips. She was sure she had never seen more kissable lips in her life. Oh how badly she wanted to touch them, with her fingers, with her lips.

 _I've thought about kissing him today, I thought about kissing him yesterday and I know I will think about kissing him tomorrow, too_ , Marinette groaned in her mind.

She bit her tongue. She couldn't kiss him, nope, that was out of question, nuh-uh, never. She was sure Adrien wouldn't want it, and the last thing she wanted was to make him uncomfortable.

By the time her eyes moved from his lips to meet his eyes again, Adrien's face was bright red. Marinette noticed how his breathing wasn't steady anymore. In fact, it seemed like he wasn't breathing at all.

 _Crap, he noticed._ Marinette panicked. She wanted to punch herself. _I didn't want to make him uncomfortable but yippee, look what I just managed to do!_

To her surprise, Adrien did not stop purring. There was a shy glimmer in his eyes that almost made her think he actually wanted her to kiss him. Which was crazy, obviously. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her.

Concern covered Marinette's features. Her teeth chewed on her lower lip, hard. She hesitated.

She could do it. She could lean down and seal his lips with hers. It would be that easy. She was 30 centimeters away from tasting saltwater and croissants, all she had to do was kiss him.

Marinette shot up, ears burning.

Adrien blinked blankly a few times, the disappointment clear on his face. The purring stopped.

”G-goodnight, kitty!” Marinette managed to stutter as she hurried to turn off the lights.

It was silent for a moment.

Adrien turned his head so that the soft glow of the moon didn't touch his face anymore. The moonlight still outlined his head, but reading any facial expression was impossible in the dim light.

”Goodnight, my lady.”

Marinette was glad she couldn't see his face in the dark.

 

-/-/-/-

 

Marinette was standing knee-deep in ocean water, screaming Adrien's name. The once pink sky transformed into a sheet of jet black, which engulfed the beach. Stars reflected off the cool water.

Marinette was scared.

A few days ago her voice had been filled with excitement. Now it was only coarse and rough, full of heart-wrenching fear. Her throat hurt.

”Adrien!” she kept screaming despite the pain. ”Adrien!”

Adrien had a beautiful name that needed to be said out loud as much as possible, but Marinette's voice was starting to think otherwise. Her vocal folds were begging her to stop screaming.

For three days she had been trying to reach him somehow, but the problem was that she had no idea where he was. When she woke up on Monday, he was gone. Simple as that.

Adrien disappeared just as easily as he entered her life.

He left as fast as Marinette fell for him.

On Monday morning, Marinette had called Alya, screaming _I can't find him, I can't find him_ over and over again. Half an hour later they had found the old wheelchair on the beach. Half of it had been lying on the sand, half of it had been in the water.

”Chat Noir!” Marinette tried calling his nickname. The way the name escaped her lips was desperately panicked. Her heart attempted a painful escape through her throat.

Still no answer.

Marinette felt like someone was trying to crush her lungs.

”Chat –” Finally her voice broke.

The water was surprisingly warm in May, but Marinette was freezing.

 

_He left for the ocean, his heart in her hands_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Marinette finds Adrien's dead body in a dumpster (ﾉ･o･)ﾉ !! 
> 
> jk jk


	5. Sirens sing, mermaids call

Four days passed. Not a single word from Adrien.

Marinette was at Alya's house, in her best friend's arms, trying not to cry like a pathetic baby. Alya hugged her tight and patted her head, failing to find words that would make her feel better.

”He left, Alya, he left without saying a word. How could he do that to me? I thought he liked me! I was an idiot...”

Alya wanted to sigh. She had heard the exact same words at least a thousand times in the past four days. She understood that Marinette felt horrible but watching her friend do nothing but sulk all day long was starting to wear on her. This had to stop.

Besides, her right arm that was around Marinette's shoulder was starting to feel quite numb.

”Hey, don't worry”, Alya said and patted Marinette's head for the millionth time, her reassuring smile obviously forced. ”There has to be a good explanation behind Chat Noir's disappearance. He wouldn't just leave you like this. Smitten like a kitten, remember?”

”What kind of explanation?” Marinette asked between sobs. Every time she closed her eyes she could see the moonlight and the slight pink colour that had spread across his cheeks. The faint smell of cupcake frosting haunted her.

Adrien had been so disgusted by her almost-attempt at kissing him that he had decided to go through the huge trouble of getting out of her house with his dolphin tail while she was asleep. She only had herself to blame.

The explanation Alya was looking for was extremely simple: Adrien left because he couldn't stand being in the same space as her any longer.

Marinette groaned. Didn't Alya always tell her not to give up her heart too easily? Now she was paying the price and it _hurt_.

”He left because I messed up”, she said, voice filled with bitterness. She was angry at herself.

Alya scrunched her nose up. ”If that's the case then he's definitely not worth your time.”

Marinette sobbed harder, and Alya tried to find a more comfortable position for her arm. She rested her hand on Marinette's shoulder and looked at her friend sympathetically.

”But I don't believe that he left because of something you did. Please, don't cry. Maybe he didn't come back because, uhhh, he's hurt?” Alya offered. ”Or maybe he's stuck somewhere and can't get out. Ooh, maybe someone kidnapped him!”

Only God knows why she thought saying Chat Noir was hurt and kidnapped would make Marinette feel better.

Marinette's eyes widened. Suddenly she remembered the conversation she had with Adrien after the movie night. What had he said about his father again...? Something about... forcing him to go back to the sea?

Fear found Marinette once again. It whispered to her in a high-pitched voice, making her stomach lurch and her heart ache. _You failed,_ it said.

”Kidnapped!” she cried and buried her face in her hands. ”That's even worse! I promised him I would keep him safe!”

”You did?” Alya raised an eyebrow, sounding almost amused. ”You're hopeless.”

”Why is it wrong to want to know he's alright?” Marinette snapped back. ”That's all I want. I need to know he's not in danger. After that he can leave me if he feels like it, I won't stop him. But I won't be able live with myself if something happens to him while he's under my protection.”

 _Under her protection..._ A laugh was trying to push its way out of Alya's mouth. She had to bite her lip to prevent it.

”You're right, there's nothing wrong with that”, she agreed and nodded her head once, this time with a real smile.

Marinette said nothing, all of her thoughts were focused on Adrien. Was he scared, alone? Did he miss her as much as she missed him? So many questions, but no answers.

Marinette could imagine it. Adrien, miserable in a cage, bruised and battered, trying to escape. His golden hair painted red, a deep cut in his tail that made his every move painful. Her beautiful Adrien, locked up, screaming for help. Screaming _her_ name.

Marinette shivered. She closed her eyes. Had he been kidnapped in the middle of the night without her knowing? How was that even possible?

Marinette played with her hands nervously for a few seconds before summoning enough courage to open her mouth. ”Alya, do you believe in soulmates?”

Her friend let out a small laugh. ”Well, I met you, didn't I.”

Both girls chuckled.

”Mm-m, but what about romantic soulmates?” Marinette continued, hopeful. ”What do you think about... true love and stuff like that?”

Alya blinked a few times in surprise before replying. ”Possibly.”

”Good, because I think”, Marinette swallowed, ”that my soulmate is a merman.”

Okay, that had sounded better in her head.

Alya opened her mouth to say something but hesitated. Marinette could see that she was worried and probably a little shocked by her words, too. Alya's brows drew together.

”Um, not to sound mean or unsupportive but...” she started slowly, ”you've only known Chat Noir for, what, a little over a week?”

Marinette tensed. She could see where this was going and she did not like it one bit.

”Don't you think it's a _bit_ too early to call him your 'soulmate'?”

Alya was making her feel like she was a lovesick fool, just about to ruin her entire life for some boy. It made her angry. It wasn't like she was doodling Adrien's name all over her notebooks and drawing hearts around the letters, or whispering 'he loves me, he loves me not' while picking petals off an unlucky flower.

Then again, she definitely wasn't acting like her normal bubbly self. She couldn't even think straight because Adrien's safety was constantly on her mind. All she wanted was to see him.

Marinette liked to think she had an intelligent mind, but goddamnit her heart was stupid. All of this was ridiculous, she knew that. It was surreal to meet a freaking merman completely out of the blue. It was stupid to bring the creature home and even more stupid to feed it and spend time with it. It was foolish to have feelings for someone who, instead of legs, had a fish tail. It was a waste of her time to keep thinking about someone who had ran away from her.

She knew Alya was trying to be reasonable, but Marinette saw red.

”That's exactly why I called him my soulmate”, she snapped. ”I've only known Chat for about a week and I'm a mess. He must be my soulmate, it's the only logical explanation!”

Alya grimaced when the word 'logical' left her lips. She dragged a hand along her face.

”Riiight...” Alya muttered and rubbed her temples. ”Maybe you should start with 'crush'.”

Marinette turned away, facing the opposing wall with a pout. Alya sighed.

”Listen”, she started more firmly this time, not trying to sound gentle anymore. ”If someone else told me this crazy stuff, I would tell them they were insane. Delusional. Out of their mind and –”

Marinette let out a humourless laugh.

”Yeah, yeah, I get it”, she huffed. ”I'm crazy.”

”Wait, I'm not done yet.” Alya raised her hand and Marinette shut her mouth. ”I know you, Marinette, and I know you mean it when you say you want to protect him. So, even if you are a little bit insane, you're still my number one favourite person in this world and I want to help you.”

Marinette turned to look at her again, a smile slowly spreading across her face. Then she wrapped her friend up in a tight hug. Alya hugged her back, a happy gleam momentarily appearing to her eyes before she stuck her tongue out and made fake gagging sounds.

”Ok, ugh, enough”, she said and pulled away while making funny faces.

Marinette laughed. They were rarely angry with each other for more than 5 minutes.

”Concentrate, Marinette”, her best friend said even though she was grinning, too. ”We can talk about my brilliance later, but right now we need to focus on what's important. What are you going to do about Chat Noir's disappearance?”

”Uh, file a missing person report?” Marinette suggested.

Alya shook her head. ”How? You can't just go to the police station and say 'hi, I need help, I haven't seen my merman boyfriend in a while, I think I lost him. Oh, you need to know his name? _Chat Noir._ '”

Marinette's face turned slightly pink. ”He's not my boyfriend.”

”That wasn't the point.” Alya rolled her eyes. ”But I know you wish he was.”

Marinette gave her friend an unamused look before tapping her chin with her finger. ”Maybe we could make posters... Spread them around Cannes...”

Alya shook her head again. ”Bad idea. He's a merman, think about the details we would have to give. 'Basically naked with black cat ears and a fish tail. Goes by the name of Chat Noir. If you see him swimming around, give us a call.'”

Marinette hung her head in defeat. If Adrien really had been kidnapped, how could she ever find him? Where should she start her search? He could literally be anywhere.

Marinette closed her eyes. She could hear his quiet purr so clearly. It was a lovely sound that warmed her nervous heart a little, but at the same time it was also very distracting. Alya was right, she needed to pull herself together.

Marinette pushed the sound firmly to the back of her mind and searched her memory for clues. Adrien... She knew he was a huge fan of true love and Disney princesses. He loved pastries and petting and cuddles and he was the kindest, sweetest person she had ever met. Her beautiful Adrien, who was an actual prince from the Aegean Sea.

Her eyes snapped open. She knew it was far-fetched, but maybe he was... Could he be...?

”Now I know!” Marinette jumped up. ”I need to go to Greece!”

Alya looked at her with confused eyes, so she told her everything that happened on the first day she met Chat. She told her where he was from and how he got to Cannes. She told her about his father and how Chat Noir was actually a merman prince.

Alya seemed pleased with her plan.

”That's my girl! That's the spirit!” Alya patted Marinette's back proudly. ”The daring heroine is going to rescue her beloved prince! That's what I'm talking about!”

Marinette flashed a big, confident smile. ”I'll find him, I'm sure of it.”

Her kitty needed her help. Whether he wanted it or not, she was coming. Marinette just prayed she wasn't going to take the trip for nought.

 

-/-/-/-

 

On the fifth day, Marinette was lying on her bed, hugging Adrien's green blanket tightly against her chest as her heart beat wildly. It was 10pm and she was thinking about her possible trip to Greece. Alya had promised to help her book the flight as soon as possible, but Marinette felt like her heart would jump out of her chest if she didn't leave this instant.

Her phone started ringing. Slowly, she got up and grabbed the phone, expecting the caller to be either Alya or her parents. Her phone, however, claimed that the number was unknown.

She answered a little hesitantly. ”He-hello?”

_”Good evening, my lady. I was hoping our paths would croissant again.”_

Marinette shot to her feet instantly.

” _ADRIEN?_ ” she screeched. Was he using a seashell?

 _”Yeah, it's me”_ , he replied, chuckling.

Marinette wanted to pull her hair out. Why was he chuckling and _not_ freaking out like she was? How could he be so _calm_?

”Where have you been? Where are you now? Are you alone? Are you alright?” she blurted out all the questions she had been asking Alya for the past five days.

_”I'm okay, but...”_

The pause made Marinette's heart painfully skip a beat. She held her breath.

 _”Can you come to the beach right now if possible?”_ he asked finally. _”And bring your mother's wheelchair, please. I need some help...”_

”Are you hurt?” she asked immediately, worry growing inside her.

_”No, I told you I'm fine.”_

She couldn't help it, she exhaled loudly, relieved. She almost couldn't believe that it really was him. But it was, it was him, she could hear his voice and his breathing. Adrien was alright, he had called her and he...

”Wait.” She closed her eyes and tried to recall the beginning of their conversation. ”Please tell me you didn't just say you 'hoped our paths would croissant'. Seriously, Adrien, _croissant_? You've got to be kidding me. You've been missing for _days_ and _that's_ the first thing you say to me?”

Adrien said nothing. Marinette's patience was wearing thin.

”Adrien? Hello?” she raised her voice and stomped her foot alone in her room. ”I swear to god...”

 _”So, uh, a-are you coming or not?”_ Adrien stammered quietly.

”I'm not sure, fishcat.” She rolled her eyes even though no one was there to see it. ”Of course I'm coming! But you'd better tell me everything.”

She could hear him gulp. _”Ye-yeah, sure. I'll tell you everything.”_

 

It usually took Marinette 15 minutes to get to the beach, but this time she somehow made it there in eight. She would have been there in six if it wasn't for the stupid wheelchair.

The ocean air was careful as if expecting a storm. The bright blue sky was slowly transforming into a sea of darkness. The water looked black, but the waves were soft. The beach was empty.

Marinette could see Adrien's glowing green eyes near the rock where they'd first met. She almost gasped. She had already forgotten how beautiful his eyes truly were.

Adrien was grinning at her, and Marinette clenched her fists. She abandoned the old wheelchair and slowly approached the merman step by step.

Adrien really was there. Alive. Not tortured, not captured, not suffering.

Marinette swallowed, nervously tucking a windblown strand of hair behind her ear. Her heart still ached.

Despite the fact that she had confidently told Alya she would find Adrien in Greece, the truth was that she never thought she would actually find him. The Aegean Sea was huge, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

”Hi, thanks for coming”, Adrien said cheerfully, waving a massive seashell in his hand. His teeth exposed in a flash of white, the smile reaching his ears as he grinned. The grin turned his eyes into crescents.

All of a sudden Marinette felt sick. Why was he acting like nothing had happened? Why did he look so _happy_?

She didn't return his smile.

”What happened? Are you okay?” she asked, voice sharp. ”Please tell me you're unharmed.”

Adrien rubbed the back of his head. ”Remember six days ago when I told you I felt kind of dizzy?”

Marinette only nodded, biting her lower lip hard.

He looked somewhat embarrassed as he spoke. ”Well, I woke up that night feeling nauseous. I realized that my scales were too dry so I... borrowed your mother's old wheelchair. My plan was to go for a quick swim and come back before sunrise. As you know, not everything went according to plan. My intention was never to leave, I promise!”

”What... What happened?” Marinette asked again, voice barely above a whisper. ”Were you... kidnapped?”

A sharp, angry voice in her head scolded her for not keeping her kitty safe.

However, Adrien was clearly surprised by her question. ”Kidnapped? Ah, no, I just...”

A long pause.

”I might have swum a little too far and, uh, I sort of got lost...”

The spring wind sucked the air from Marinette's lungs as her mind blanked. Her whole body felt strangely drained. She must have heard wrong.

”I've noticed that I have terrible navigation skills”, Adrien explained as she stared at him with empty eyes. ”That's how I ended up in Cannes in the first place.”

Marinette blinked, mind still blank. For five days she had thought he had left her on purpose. For five days she had been worried sick that something bad had happened to him. Heck, even the thought of him being dead had crossed her mind and the guilt was still eating away at her.

But no, this idiot had gone for a swim and just got _lost_? Marinette didn't know what to think.

She took a look at his bruised arms and the dark circles under his eyes that matched his tail and ears. She wasn't convinced. If he was trying to hide something from her to make her feel better, he wasn't doing a spectacular job.

Marinette took a deep breath.

”How did you get those?” she asked and nodded towards the purple marks on his skin.

”These?” Adrien raised his arms. ”You probably won't believe this but I fought a shark. Think about it, Marinette, I fought a shark! Cool, huh? I won the match and these bruises are my reward.”

He beamed proudly, but Marinette still didn't smile back. There was nothing funny about this.

”What about those black circles under your eyes?” she asked next. ”Did someone punch you?”

”Oh...” Adrien touched the skin beneath his eyes gently. ”Come to think of it, I haven't slept at all in five days. I've been trying to get back to you. I didn't want you to think that I...”

He stopped mid sentence when Marinette suddenly jumped into the water, blue eyes darkening until they were the colour of the ocean on a stormy day. Compared to Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the shark had been childsplay. Adrien knew that if he didn't want to suffer a very painful death, now was his last chance to run. Unfortunately, his body was frozen, he couldn't move.

Maybe Marinette was the storm the sea had been waiting for.

But when the girl threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, Adrien was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Relief poured through him. He felt like he had been holding his breath all day and could finally breathe freely.

He dropped the seashell and hugged her back instantly. She smelled of croissants and chocolate cookies, and Adrien had to remind himself that this was not the best time to think about food.

Marinette looked all over him, making sure he was still in one piece. That was when he noticed the small tears in her eyes. His ears drooped.

”Hey, hey...” He cupped her face and gently caressed her skin with his thumbs as she sniffed. She refused to look at him.

”I thought someone had done something bad to you, I though you were hurt, I thought...” Marinette took a deep breath, trying to calm her voice. ”I-I was going to book a flight to Greece so that I could find you.”

”I'm sorry...” was all Adrien could mumble. Suddenly, he felt extremely guilty.

Marinette blinked, finally meeting his eyes. ”You're... sorry?”

Adrien was surprised to see that all her anger was gone. Now she just seemed confused.

”Why on earth are you sorry? I'm the one who should apologize, I wasn't there to keep you safe!” Marinette sniffed again and buried her face in his neck. She hoped that Adrien could not distinguish the small tears that hit his shoulder.

Despite Marinette's tears, to Adrien, all of this just somehow felt so _right_. It was just him and Marinette and the warm water surrounding them. The girl's body was tightly pressed against his, and maybe for the first time in his life Adrien actually felt like he was home. _This_ was the reason he had swum non stop for five days, and boy, was it worth it. Adrien could only hope that Marinette felt the same.

She did.

Her body sang in happiness at the closeness. Slowly, she relaxed. It felt good to have his arms wrapped around her.

”I'm so glad you're not hurt”, she whispered. ”I missed you, ok?”

Adrien's cat ears perked up instantly, and Marinette let out a small laugh, squeezing him a little tighter. Smiling, she nuzzled her nose against his neck.

Adrien felt chills go down his spine.

Yep, everything was right and good with the world.

”Oh god, how I missed you”, she said again and kissed his neck softly once, then twice.

Marinette had never touched his skin with her lips before and Adrien feel like he was flying. Or swimming, whatever. The point was that nothing could ruin this moment.

”Adrien?” she whispered his name, kissing his jawline in a way that made his heart dance excitedly. He shivered and closed his eyes. He saw stars.

Marinette pulled away to see his face.

”Why are you so quiet?” she asked before smirking. ”Cat got your tongue?”

Adrien opened his eyes, looking shocked for a moment. It only made her smirk grow.

”Hellooo, I told you I missed you, kitty.”

Finally Adrien smirked back. ”And I missed your pastries.”

 

-/-/-/-

 

Her forehead was pressed against his, a satisfied smirk on her face. She had wanted to make his voice shake and lungs gasp for air. She had succeeded.

Adrien's breath came out in short shakes as he gazed into her bluebell eyes. His whole body was slightly shivering, his veins humming. This was what kissing Marinette did to him, what _she_ did to him.

Their noses brushed again, and just when Adrien was about to lean in for another kiss, Marinette leaped from the sofa, smirking. She tapped him lightly on the nose as he let out a disappointed groan.

”Kiss me”, he demanded. Adrien tilted his chin up, closed his eyes and waited for her to lean down.

A tiny giggle left her lips.

”So greedy”, she said before heading to the kitchen.

When he finally realized that he was not going to get that kiss from his lady, Adrien crossed his arms over his chest and put on a pout. He thought Marinette was being unnecessarily harsh. He wasn't _greedy_.

What was wrong with wanting to kiss the girl he liked? He thought her lips were nice and soft, she smelled good and was an excellent kisser. Besides, it didn't seem like Marinette minded much. She had even told him that she thought his lips tasted very good.

Adrien's cheeks turned pink at the memory. He bit his lower lip. Gosh, he wanted to kiss her, like, this instant.

Adrien turned to glare at his tail. If only they were in the water...

Marinette returned from the kitchen with two croissants in her hands. Like magic, Adrien's pout disappeared and his face lit up, his eyes practically sparkling.

The power of croissants indeed.

They had baked them together the previous day. As messy as it had been, they still managed to fill the bakery air with the most delicious scent.

Marinette had told him to bake with love. She said that if you use love you can never go wrong. Adrien had taken her words quite literally, staring at her the whole time with a fond smile on his lips as he poured milk and boiling water into a large bowl. Only when he was about to kiss the dough, Marinette stopped him, screaming that if he touched it with his lips she wouldn't be able to sell the croissants.

It had been Adrien's first time baking anything, but he had done his best. To be honest, he was quite proud of himself that he had succeeded to pour his love into the croissants. He couldn't wait to taste them.

”You get to choose”, Marinette started, waving the other pastry. ”Do you want this croissant or a kiss from me?”

Slowly, Adrien's brow knitted together as her words sank in. He wasn't happy with the offer.

”Why can't I get both?”

Marinette just shook her head, clearly amused.

”Fine.” Adrien sighed. ”I choose the kiss option.”

Marinette almost found it funny how he was stuck in the sofa, pouting at her as he stared at her lips. There was nothing he could do but hope that his cute expressions were cute enough. She could lean down to kiss him again or she could just simply grin at him and hum innocently as if she didn't know what he wanted. She kind of wanted to torment him a bit more, but at the same time the truth was that she really really wanted to kiss him, too.

And yes, his expressions were that cute.

So, when Adrien patted the seat beside him, Marinette plopped back down on the sofa. The big, hopeful smile on his face made her heart flutter instantly. The feeling was welcome.

”Sooo, what kind of curse are we breaking today?” she asked him. ”A sleeping curse maybe?”

Adrien blinked, confused. Marinette chuckled.

”Or perhaps we should wake someone from the dead?” she offered next.

Finally realization crossed his face. He huffed, folding his arms again.

”True love is real, Marinette”, he said stubbornly.

”In that case, tell me, has our kiss brought peace to this world?” Her voice was playful as she moved a little closer to him.

Adrien did the same, mirroring her movement. His eyes immediately dropped to her lips.

”I think we have a chance.” He nodded, hand reaching under her hair below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek. ”And I'm willing to try as many times as you are.”

”Go ahead then”, she breathed as her eyes fluttered shut. She felt his fingers curl around the back of her neck, pulling her closer. She licked her dry lips quickly, feeling his warm breath tickle her skin. He smelled of chocolate.

Adrien smirked. It was payback time.

Just when his lips were about to touch hers, he lifted his head and pressed a quick surprise kiss to the tip of her nose. He watched how her nose wrinkled.

Marinette opened her eyes, dumbfounded. A feeling of disappointment welled up inside her for a moment, but she pushed it away.

”I thought you said you wanted to kiss me.” She scrunched her nose up, clearly annoyed.

”I did kiss you”, Adrien noted.

”On the _lips_ , fish.”

He could tell she was pissed, but it only made the situation funnier to him. ”Yes, I wanted to kiss you on the lips ten seconds ago but then I changed my mind.”

At that, Marinette's eyes narrowed dangerously. She got up, took a deep breath and turned to him again. The angry look was gone, she was now smiling brightly. Way too brightly, he realized.

”Fine, no more croissants or kisses for you today then”, she said in a sweet, high-pitched voice. She hummed happily as she took the pastries back to the kitchen.

Adrien gasped softly. His smug look disappeared.

”But, my lady, I made them myself, you can't keep my precious croissants away from me”, he complained, shocked. ”Will you change your mind if I promise to kiss you?”

”No.”

”Please, princess?”

”Pet names will get you nowhere.”

”Have I mentioned how beautiful you look today?”

”Neither will flattery.”

No croissants or kisses from Marinette? Adrien's cat ears drooped at the thought. How was he supposed to survive?

Marinette fetched her sketchbook and sat back down without saying a word. Adrien was looking at her warily, but she pretended she didn't notice. She began to sketch on the paper in silence.

Adrien hesitated for a moment.

”Hey, Marinette...” The words left his mouth in a whisper as he poked her side gently. "Marinette?"

The girl said nothing. She just continued to sketch until the picture began to look as she wanted it to.

Adrien pursed his lips. He poked again.

Marinette couldn't help it, a small smile automatically made the corners of her mouth quirk up. It wasn't her fault that her kitty was so cute when he was upset. In fact, Marinette was starting to believe that Adrien was the epitome of adorable. Newborn babies had better watch out.

Adrien's relieved smile reached his eyes when he saw her tiny smirk and realized that she wasn't actually angry. He glanced at her drawing. It wasn't ready yet, but he could recognize that it was a picture of him wearing a scarf.

Adrien's eyes started shimmering. His mouth opened into a wide grin, teeth and all, and Marinette felt like she was the one who was bubbling with happiness. His smile was highly contagious.

He rested his head on her shoulder, eagerly wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her a little closer. He purred softly.

Marinette sighed, enjoying the warmth of the tender moment. He seemed to melt into her, it was like he belonged next to her and she belonged next to him. Maybe they did.

Marinette continued her drawing, Adrien's fluffy hair tickling her cheek at the same time.

”You stick your tongue out when you draw”, he said after a moment, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

”I don't.”

”You do. It's cute.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, but she had a tender smile on her lips. ” _You're_ cute.”

Adrien raised his head and there was a pause as the two stared at each other. Suddenly Marinette saw something flicker behind his eyes, something she didn't expect to see. Worry and fear.

She blinked, surprised. ”What is it?”

Adrien turned to look at his fishtail with sad eyes. Then he glanced at her legs and sighed.

”What... are we going to do now?” he asked without taking his eyes off her lower body.

Marinette only tilted her head.

Adrien's jaw tightened. He was still avoiding eye contact with her as if trying not to give away how scared he actually was. ”There are so many things that can go wrong. What is waiting for us in the future? Can we even have a future? What if my father finds me? What am I going to do if one day you decide that you don't wa–”

Marinette interrupted him by firmly putting her hands on his shoulders, making him finally look at her. She could see he was holding back tears and her heart ached. She had to take a deep breath before speaking.

”Adrien.” Her voice was sharp. ”Do you want to be with me tomorrow?”

He blinked in surprise, her question took a moment to sink in. Now it was Adrien's turn to tilt his head.

”What kind of question is that? I do, obviously.”

”Okay, and do you want to be with me the day after tomorrow?”

His frown increased. ”Of course.”

Marinette's eyes softened and she removed her hands from his shoulders. ”Then there's nothing to worry about, kitty. Tomorrow is part of the future, isn't it? If you want to be with me tomorrow, then I think the future looks rather bright.”

A pause.

His eyes were searching hers for something and, slowly, his frown disappeared as his whole face lit up like the sun. He let out a laugh and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly and making her squeak in surprise. They were so close that he could feel how her heart beat, but it only made him tighten his hold.

He had found what he was looking for.

Marinette let out a similar laugh. She actually had a pretty good guess as to what he had been looking for, because she could see the same feeling in _his_ eyes. She had no idea what any of this meant for her, or for him, or for them, but she couldn't wait to find out.

She pulled away a little, still grinning widely. She pointed to her forehead.

Adrien raised an eyebrow at her, eyes curious.

”Press your forehead against mine”, she explained with a sly smirk. ”After all, you did just say you wanted to be with me.”

Marinette was sure she had never seen a more brilliant smile as the one that spread across Adrien's face at that moment. He looked at her like she was a shining constellation, not realizing that that was exactly what she thought of him, too.

Without any hesitation he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes, heart swelling in his chest as he thought about the promise he was about to make. _A future_ for him and Marinette.

”I promise”, he said, voice full of confidence. He believed with all his heart that love was real and that it could be trusted.

Marinette closed her eyes, too. Her hands were on the back of his neck, playing with the ends of his hair, and Adrien purred again. They were in complete silence, listening to each other's steady breathing.

”I promise”, Marinette finally returned the words. Somehow she just knew their promise was eternal.

 

_I will give you precious memories, so please, love me more and more every day_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter whohoo (ﾉ･o･)ﾉ !!
> 
> Credit to Marina Diamandis for that amazing croissant pun.
> 
> Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this dumb, fluff filled story, I'm really grateful ♡ Thank you if you left a comment or even multiple ones, thank you if you pushed that small kudos button, thank you if you read all 5 chapters. I wanted this to be sweet and simple and I hope I achieved both.
> 
> I hope you have a wonderful day!♡


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